Radical Dreamers
by Geniasis
Summary: Three thieves, one Frozen Flame in the mansion of an aristocrat. But not everything is as it appears. For their quest will reveal a past that they don't remember, and old wrongs will be righted.
1. Prolouge

Sadly, I don't own _Radical Dreamers_, though I would be very happy if I did. _Radical Dreamers_ was the first attempt at a sequel to the wildly _Chrono Trigger _on the SNES (later re-released for the PSX and the DS) by means of the Satellaview system that crashed and burned—look it up if you're interested. As a result, _RadicalDreamers_ never made it outside of Japan. Eventually _Chrono Cross_ was made as a proper sequel.

Technically, _Radical Dreamers_ exists in canon as an alternate timeline but because eventually a ROM came out and so did a translation, I think it's a fun thing to share with you all.

* * *

It was then that I opened the notebook my mother had given me… she said she found it while cleaning out the closet. Crumbling and covered with dust, it turned out to be the diary of my long-lost grandfather.

"…Do you still remember…?

How we first met, and all of our adventures since… It all seems like such a dream nowadays… You were a piece of star that fell from the sky. Whenever I want to return to those days long gone, I close my eyes and whisper your name into the evening sky…

Kid…

Kid…

… Hey, Kid!"

"Are you ready, Kid? I know you're anxious, but stay on your toes."

"Yeah, likewise, mate! Mess up, and I'm leavin' ya behind! C'mon, Magil. That bastard Lynx is gonna get what he deserves! Say yer prayers... Not that it'll do ya any good!"


	2. Le Trésor Interdit

If I owned this I'd be rich. But I don't so I'm not   
  
Le Trésor Interdit  
  
"Boy, did her information help. I thought the perimeter's counterspell would be quite a problem."  
  
Kid's braid sways gently from side to side in the cool nighttime breeze.  
  
So far, we've managed to slip through the magical shield network undetected and sneak into Lynx's domain. Still,  
this inner region can make for some pretty rought travel.  
  
Kid, Magil, and I comprise this party of three...  
  
It's been something like three years since Kid and I met.  
Back then I was a drifter, wandering wherever my music led me. During my stay in the remote town of Regiorra, I ended up running into a girl who later joined me, leading to the beginning of all this.  
  
That girl was Kid...  
  
Kid is a thief, of course  
  
Not even seventeen years old, already she's widely renowned as a top professional. To make matters worse,  
she's cute, devilishly stylish, and has a sparkling personality. And boy can she cook...if you ask her, that is.  
  
Well, to be completey honest, she has her share of problems as well. She likes to think of herself as a kind of Robin Hood, stealing from the rih and giving to the poor, but that's just not the case.  
  
At times her sharp tounge can get the best of her,  
viciously lashing out at anyone who stands in her way.  
She exaggerates every other word, and sometimes lies outright... and as for listening to other people, well,  
forget it.  
  
When it comes to money, well, I've never met anyone greedier in my life. Her relentless pursuit of wealth is ironic, considering she's a nomad, like me...  
  
I don't know, maybe I'm being too hard on her. She has her good points, too. She can really shine sometimes,  
when she wants too...  
  
Glancing back over my shoulder, I notice a sillhouette silently emerge from the grove.  
  
Magil...  
  
This associate of Kid's is known to us only as 'Magil of the Shadows'  
  
I know next to nothing about him, except for the fact that he somehow knew Kid before I came into the picture.  
  
A high-class magician of some sort, he looks to be about thirty. He usually keeps to himself, though.  
  
The top half of his face is covered with a mask at all times. I've never even seen what he really looks like.  
  
At times, it seems as though I'm hanging around someone from another world -- traveling with this pack is definitely an interesting experience.  
  
Kid's quiet about her past too, but it's like I know her entire life story compared to how little I know about Magil.  
  
From time to time I find myself wondering who he is,  
where he came from, and so on. I'd ask Kid, but I get the impression she knows as little about him as I do.  
  
You might be wondering, how did I end up where I am now? Well, there's a lot of reasons, I suppose.  
  
I guess you could say that life doesn't always go how you plan.  
  
Suddenly, Kid comes to an abrupt stop.  
  
"Seems someone wants to say hello."  
  
Out of a nearby thicket, two shimmering eyes catch my attention . Whatever it is, it's staring at me sliently.  
  
After a few moments, a few more pairs of eyes appear.  
They seem to be surveying the area.  
  
A deep feline growl breaks the uncomfortable silence,  
and I realize we're being hunted by a pack of feral cats.  
  
A few of the figures slowly approach from behind the trees. I look behind me, only to see that they've already encircled us.  
  
A few more slowly creep in, now totaling about ten...  
  
Chills run down my spine. In a daze I clumsily unsheathe my knife, grasping it tightly as I bite my lip.  
  
Kid stands ready with an air of composure.  
  
"Careful, mate. These buggers are prolly rabid."  
  
The growling increases, now a constant rumble all around us.  
  
Their yellow eyes shimmer like jack-o-lanterns while saliva drips from their snarling jaws.  
  
The middle one's stomach gurgles as its eyes widen, fixed directly on me.  
  
"Looks like we ain't gettin' outta this one without a fight!"  
  
I slash viciously at a nearby cat.  
  
Startled, it leaps back with incredible reflexes. I stay my ground, not getting any closer to the beast.  
  
Hearing a howl, I know I've hit my mark.  
  
licking its wound, the animal recovers after a moment of pain.  
  
I ready my knife, waiting for my next chance to attack.  
  
"Serge, behind ya!!"  
  
I turn around to see that I'm now face to face with a pair of those ravenous yellow eyes.  
  
There's no time!!  
  
I suck as the lunges and snaps at me. I smell the bloody odor of the cat's breath as it passes overhead.  
Just as I think it's past me, I feel its back claws dig into my back!  
  
Scrambling out of the way, I manage to shove my knife upwards, planting it deep within the animal's belly!!  
  
The sound of death can heard as the cat falls to the ground before me, barely moving.  
  
Almost delirious, I lose balance and fall to my knees.  
Rolling over, I manage to shake off the confusion before any of the other cats can get any closer to me.  
  
I take a deep breath and try to tighten my grip on my knife, now slippery with sweat.  
  
Then, out of nowhere, Kid flashes across my field of vision, landing a direct hit onto a cat beside me!  
  
The cat screeches in pain as Kid pins it to the ground,  
stomping and kicking it with all her rage! Without a moment's delay, she boots the animal up underneath its jaw. It moves no more.  
  
All of a sudden, the crazed atmosphere gives way to a war cry behind me!  
  
I whip around to see Magil's inferno spell setting a cat's head ablaze! It jumps up, screeching and howling in madness before running away wildly. In confusion, it runs directly into a tree and knocks itself out cold.  
  
I look around, and see that only one of the pack hasn't been taken care of yet. As Kid and I start to close in on the beast, it bolts, fearing for its life.  
  
"Well that was some workout, eh mate?" says Kid,  
coming towards me as she tends to her arm.  
  
I take a deep breath as I look around, trying not to step on too many of the bodies.  
  
I'll admit I was a little worried back there at times, but nothing to serious happened.  
  
I try talking to Magil, despite knowing how'll he'll react.  
  
"Are you all right?"  
  
With an expressionless face he looks down at me blankly.  
  
"You need not worry about me."  
  
Wow, the affection is just overflowing from that guy.  
  
However, I probably shouldn't start complaining now.  
We've still got a long way to go... We haven't even set foot inside Viper Manor yet.  
  
Kid glances over at me, seeming eager as ever, ready to tackle what's next. "Ya gonna hang around all night or what, mate?"  
  
"No way, let's go."  
  
"Hey, c'mere."  
  
Trying to ignore my aches and pains, I head over towards kid.  
  
"Good job back there, mate."  
  
She comes closer. I can see the reflection of the moon in her eyes, as she gives me a warm, comforting smile  
  
"But c'mon, we can't just stand around all night! There's treasure waitin' to be found!"  
  
I'm still lost in her eyes as she starts to set off...  
  
Magil continues behind her without a hitch.  
  
I hurry to catch up behind the two. In a place like this,  
getting seperated would be a bad idea...  
  
We continue to make our way through this natural labyrinth of wood and rock. Somewhere, quietly waiting within this huge forest, Viper Manor beckons us. Deep within lies the treasure we've come for.  
  
Lord Lynx, as he's formally known, is an aristocrat who governs the Regionna outlands. From the way Kid talks he's apparently an old adversary of hers.  
  
Tonight, our goal is Lord Lynx's most prized possession a scarlet jewel known as the Frozen Flame.  
  
Besides being priceless, some say this beautiful stone harbors some sort of mystical power.  
  
They say many people have sought after the Flame, but none have been victorious in stealing it. Viper Manor has claimed many lives...  
  
...But we will succeed  
  
We pride ourselves on making the impossible possible.  
Besides, the way Kid talks about Lynx sometimes, it sounds like she's got an awfully personal vendetta against him.  
  
We can't lose... We've come too far to lose.  
  
And so, after having spent countless hours crossing this dreary, lonesome forest, the silhouette of a towering mansion finally comes into view through the trees.  
  
"We made it!" Kid shouts. "Yer days are numbered,  
Lynx!"  
  
We quickly make our move, quietly dashing out from behind a thicket. Once at the mansion wall, we creep stealthily along the perimeter, searching for an entry point.  
  
After a short while, we come upon a terrace near a garden which looks relatively inviting  
  
It doesn't look like there are any guards on patrol. Still,  
the mansion gives off a strange sort of morbid feeling.  
It's as quiet as death.  
  
Magil gazes up at the towering fortress. "We can enter into the west wing from here. There's no need to look elsewhere."  
  
"Okay, let's go!" Kid says, jumping over the terrace handrail.  
  
"Halt!" shouts Magil from behind, staring at Kid. "Our goal is the Frozen Flame, not vengeance on Lord Lynx.  
Remember this, Kid."  
  
"Aye, no prob," she says, glancing over her shoulder.  
  
"Ain't gonna be nothin' to it... like takin' candy from a baby. We'll be outta here before that slimey rat knows what hit him! Yeah, ya low-down, good-for-nothin'  
bastard, I'll make you pay!!"  
  
There she goes again...  
  
"C'mon, I'm gettin' tired of waitin' around!" she yells,  
before bolting into the mansion.  
  
Magil shakes his head in silence as I chase after Kid,  
already deep inside.  
  
The darkness engulfs me...  
  
Passages extend to the left and right. Wherever we turn,  
darkness awaits...  
  
"Let's try the left passage."  
  
As though, we're inside a gigantic snake, the passageway twists and turns, stretching deeper and deeper into the mansion  
  
We now stand in almost complete and utter darkness.  
Just a trace of moonlight manages to illuminate the path.  
I stop for a moment, and realize it's now completely silent. I feel as though we're being watched silently by every single being in this dreadful house.  
  
Taking a deep breath, I move on...  
  
And I set my foot down slyly. With the stealth of a cat yet a valiently composed, Kid follows behind in stride.  
Drifting in and out of the shadows, the macabre figure of Magil looks out from behind.  
  
The weaver of Fate has surely by now taken notice of us, cradling us carefully in her arms...  
  
After a while, the path splits into three directions. To the left, is a descendinding staircase, while the path on the right extends into darkness. Another passageway lies ahead...  
  
As I start to slowly descend the stairs in the dim light, I stretch my hands out in front of me to try and feel for something. However, all I'm greeted with is the moist feeling of these frimy stone walls.  
  
We've decended the staircase. To the left, lies a huge stone archway, and to the right we can see a narrow path twisting into the darkness.  
  
The passageway on the right makes a sharp turn to the right,  
before strching on through this subterranean maze...  
  
Before long, we're greeted with a beautifully ornate set of doors on the right. Strange... there's a distinct smell of flowers coming from here.  
  
We come to a comfortably decorated room. Small trinkets have been placed on the desk and shelves, adding some charm. The owner of this room has obviously gone to great lengths to try and bring a somewhat graceful lifestyle into this otherwise dark mansion. Still, the room seems to carry an unsettling stillness with it.  
  
The letter on the desk and the warm teacup hint of a woman living here. However, after searching the room, no one is found.  
  
All we find are various odds and ends: a beautifully arranged set of flowers, a white handkerchief carelessly tossed aside, a small bottle of perfume, and so on.  
Although this stuff adds atmosphere to the room, none of it is really worth anything to us.  
  
Kid also seems to feel this way, disregarding most of the stuff in here. She picks up a small box, decorated with a serpentine coat of arms. However, like the rest of the items in here, it looks like it's of little worth to us.  
  
I open up the dresser.  
  
All sorts of differently colored garments have been placed in the drawer. Frills, lace, and just about every color of lingerie...  
  
"Wonder what kinda dress is this," Kid mutters, holding up a silk garment from the bottom of the drawer.  
Examining the dress, I can see she's fascinated with it.  
  
"I've never worn anything like this before," she says running her hands across the fine floral lace.  
  
She slides the dress down her shirt, and pulls it up over her shoulders. After a moment or two of shuffling around, she undoes her shirt and I see her wearing nothing but the silk dress. She looks as graceful as a fairy with it on.  
  
"Wow, look at me... I'm a lovely maiden! Not a scrap of roughage on me!"  
  
"None whatsoever... a perfect fit!"  
  
"Aw, Serge... quit teasin'!" says Kid, blushing.  
  
"C'mon, let's go," she says after a while, putting her old clothes back on with a smile on her face.  
  
From here, the passageway streches to the right and left.  
Heading right will take us further into darkness, while turning left will take us back to the staircase.  
  
After a little while, the dark passageway ends at a polished, robust set of doors.  
  
Kid crinkles her nose in digust. "Somethin's strange about this place... it don't feel right, mate. Prolly just my imgaination though, heh..."  
  
Standing here in the cold darkness, Kid's hollow laugh does nothing but add to my fear.  
  
These are apparently Lynx's quarters. No one seems to be here, however.  
  
"We're right on top of ya now, Lynx! Say yer prayers,  
ya bastard!"  
  
Looking around, it's a very dilapidated room. Furniture is thrown about in all directions, and almost nothing matches. Taking a look at the room as a whole, there's no sense of harmony whatsoever. It's very suggestive of a chaotic mind.  
  
"Okay, looks like we gotta search through this mess."  
There's a cluttered desk, a painting that's hanging unevenly on the far wall, and pitcher on a side table,  
among other things.  
  
In one corner of the room stands a tall, curious object of some sort. A scarlet cloth has been placed over it,  
covering it up.  
  
As I slowly reach my hand out to uncover it, Magil suddenly says, "Please avoid reckless intereference."  
  
Taking his advice, I return my hand to my side.  
  
However, the cloth suddebly starts to fall off on its own.  
  
"I didn't touch it, I swear!"  
  
"What, did it just leap off all by itself?" Kid asks, rolling her eyes.  
  
A large mirror has been uncovered. Fancifully decorated,  
it looks to be a high-priced arabesque antique.  
  
"I got a bad feelin' about this..."  
  
Then, all of a sudden..  
  
The reflection of the Venus statue opens its eyes, staring at us through the mirror!  
  
"Is there something you seek?" the statue's reflection asks, in a soft womanly voice.  
  
The voice seems to be coming from the statue in front of me, but only the mirror's reflection seems to be moving.  
  
"it... it can talk!"  
  
"It is a mirror of Whispers," Magil says, examining it closely.  
  
"What is it though?"  
  
"It is a looking glass that harbors a living spirit. The sprit is free to roam throughout nearby mirrors, able to see into our everyday lives. They are known to be quite wise. Is there anything you wish to ask?"  
  
Wow... a million question come to mind...  
  
"What in blazes are ya askin' about me for!?" Kid shouts with a red face  
  
"Very well," the statues reflection says.  
  
Ignoring Kid, who's slapping and pulling me, I focus on the mirror  
  
The reflection of the statue begins to ripple a little.  
Gradually, the mirror fades into darkness.  
  
Before long, the jet black surface of the mirror is filled with what looks like Regionna. One by one, shadows of tree's, houses, and people materialize...  
  
The mirror focuses in on a young woman, surrounded by small children. The children are dirty and poorly dressed,  
but they're all smiling and playing happily nonetheless.  
  
Then, abruptly, the building they're in bursts into flames. Armed troops are all around. Everyone scrambles for a way out, but...  
  
Against her will, the young woman is abducted. The children, however, meet a much darker fate...  
  
Time passes. After the fire has burnt the building to the ground, the mirror shifts focus to a small girl covered in soot, crying behind the charred remains her home. She lets loose a bloodcurdling scream into the open sky, as her right eye narrows like a cat's...  
  
"Stop!!!" Kid shouts.  
  
I look back to the mirror, but the image has already started to fade...  
  
Squeezing her hand into a fist, Kid slumps downard.  
The room is silent.  
  
"Kid... I'm sorry..."  
  
"Let's go," Kid says abruptly, heading towards the door.  
  
"Wait! Wait for me, Kid!" I shout as I chase after her.  
  
Heading back, we travel through the passageway, eager to shake this feeling of dread.  
  
After walking a ways, we come to a beautilfully decorated set of doors on the left.  
  
This is Riddel's room.  
  
Continuing on through the pasaage, eventually we come to a branch.  
  
We see an upwards staircase on the left, as well as a stone archway directly ahead.  
  
I follow Kid up the narrow set of stairs, hoping not to lose my balance...  
  
We've ascended the staircase. In front of us, paths extend in three directions. To the left lies a dark corridor,  
and the right path leads out to the terrace. This path also continues on ahead...  
  
We head down the path. After a while, it ends at a stained wooden door.  
  
"Guess this's the study."  
  
This huge room is faintly lit by the moonlight, shining in through a tall window. In the back of the room stands a large, ornately decorated desk.  
  
Row after row of bookshelves house thousands of thick,  
dusty books. A painting is hung on the rear wall, sharing space with various exotic curios.  
  
I walk over and open a drawer in the mahogany desk.  
  
The drawers contain writing materials and documents,  
arranged in an orderly fashion. Infortunately, they don't seem to contain anything worth mentioning.  
  
But then, a small picture in the drawer catches my eye. It's a portrait of a friendly-looking girl with a faint smile on her face.  
  
I hold it up, wondering who it could be...  
  
"It's prolly Lynx's adopted daughter," Kid says, looking over my shoulder with her nose crinkled. "...Pedophile."  
  
Suddenly, we start to hear footsteps coming this way.  
Though they aren't that loud, they boom like thunder in the night.  
  
Kid and I jump up. Magil swiftly conceals himself in the nearby shadows.  
  
Kid and I scurry down underneath the desk. Curling up, I wrap her up in my arms.  
  
"Hmph... smaller than I though."  
  
"What? Hey I..."  
  
The door opens with a sudden creak. We sit motionless without making a peep.  
  
The quivering the light of a candle spreads in from the doorway. Soon after, a hand holding a candlestick comes into view from behind the door.  
  
Tightening, I nervously hold my breath.  
  
When I look down, my heart skips a beat. With Kid's lips right in front of me, I feel myself starting to lose control.  
So full... and pink... and glossy...  
  
My heart starts pounding faster and faster. I force myself to stop staring and shut my eyes tight.  
  
Whoever opened the door doesn't seem to have any intention of entering the room.  
  
"Mmmh... thought I heard something. No reason for anybody to be in here though, since the Master is away.  
Still, with those Porre southerners on the move, it's never too safe to be sorry...."  
  
The door closes softly, covering the room in darkness once again. For a while we wait, not moving an inch.  
  
The footsteps echo away into the distance.  
  
Somewhere in the back of my mind, I can't stop thinking about how great she smells...  
  
"Hey, how long are you gonna stick to me like that?"  
Kid asks, blowing into my ear. "Huh? Uh... I mean... sorry!"  
  
I quickly get up, bumping my head against the desk with a loud bang.  
  
I crawl out, rubbing my head.  
  
"Man, that stings."  
  
Kid comes out next. Crouching, she looks me over and says, "Ya goof... you arrite?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine."  
  
"So, Porre is up to something," Magil says quietly,  
emerging from the shadows.  
  
Porre is a large country governing the southern continent. I hear it's a pretty well developed and fairly properous place. But what would they be after in these outlands? Sure not the Frozen Flame...?  
  
No matter how valuable it may be, in the end it's just a jewel... a piece of rock. How valuable could it really be?  
  
We leave the study, retracing our steps through the dark passageway. Finally, the passage come to a three-way branch.  
  
There's a descending staircase in front of us, in addition to passageways on the right and left. The one on the left will take us back towards the terrace,  
  
After continuing in through the passage for a while,  
the terrace comes into view on the right. I take a deep breath of the fresh evening air, hoping to calm my senses.  
  
We make our way down the dimly lit passageway. After a few moments, we come to an old, dusty door on the right. Kid quetly presses her ear against the door.  
  
"Quiet as a church mouse. No one's there, mate."  
  
"What's with all this junk? Must be a storeroom or somethin'..."  
  
It seems like this is the inner mechanics of a clock tower.  
However, the gears look old and rusted, and cogs are spinnning randomly without connecting up with their proper teeth. I doubt the clock's still in use today; the room seems to be currently used as a storage area.  
  
A large object catches my attention, off in a far corner of the room. It's too dark over there to see what it is,  
though.  
  
"Do not touch anything out of the ordinary," Magil says abruptly, sending a sudden shock down my spine.  
  
However, just as he says this, I see Kid emerge from the shadows, dragging the large object out into the middle of the room.  
  
It's a large antique sword of some kind.  
  
"We've got no use for that old thing, Kid. All it'll do is slow us down. Besides, we probably wouldn't even get much money for it."  
  
"Hmph. I reckon it's worth a lot to the right buyer, like an antique collector or somebody..."  
  
Sulking, Kid quietly lays the sword down.  
  
"What do you want?"  
  
I look around, startled. That was definitely not any of our voices.  
  
Kid and Magil immediately take a position, focusing their attention towards the source of the voice.  
  
"Who's there!?"  
  
A figure suddenly appears out of the darkness. It seems to be a short old woman with a large hood over her head.  
Although fully covered, it's obvious she's quite old.  
  
"Aw, it's just some old hag," Kid says. Magil's sharp gaze on the woman remains unchanged, however.  
  
"Heh, heh... what an energetic young lady. You haven't come here this late in the evening to drop in on some friends, I'd imagine..."  
  
I glance at Kid.  
  
"Perhaps you have some score to settle with Master Lynx...?"  
  
My heart jumps...  
  
This is definitely not good. Will she warn the rest of them about us?  
  
Kid's eyes narrow. "If we did have a score to settle with that bastard, what's it to you.  
  
"Heh... just as I expected."  
  
The old woman cackles in amusement.  
  
"Children... they're always so interesting like that. So imaginative, yet so predictable."  
  
"What're you talkin' about, old lady?"  
  
"Oh, it's already been four or five years, I would gather.  
According to what I was told, one night a young thief came to the manor, looking for trouble... The thief was a little girl, about ten years old."  
  
Suprised, I glance at Kid. There's a trace of an ice-like radiance in her eyes. Staring at her makes me feel like it's suddenly dropped below freezing in here.  
  
Unfazed, the old woman continues her story...  
  
"The girl was an orphan. She set off to face Master Lynx all alone, hoping to avenge the girl who had cared for her like a big sister.  
  
But, after all, she was all alone. Outnumbered and overpowered, she was eventually defeated and captured by Master Lynx's henchmen...  
  
As an ally, Master Lynx can be quite an asset. However,  
as an enemy, he can be one of the most fearsome men alive. If not for a friend who sneaked in and secretly rescued her, she surely would have perished.  
  
From what I've heard, this mysterious figure who could allegedly slip in and out of the shadows was the subject of many whispers throughout the manor, long after this incident had come to pass."  
  
"The inhabitants of Viper Manor don't condem the unfortunate, because no on can win all the time.  
However, from time to time, the Goddess of Fate has been known to cast down those who have too much good luck,  
throwing the cogs of time out of order. It's not wise to try and stand against fate, continuing to repeat one's mistakes time and time again."  
  
The old woman continues, staring straight at Kid, smiling weetly. "If you want to steal the jewel, and if you really want to beat him, you too must give up your most valued posession, Kid. As long as you cling to it, the hands of your clock will never budge. They'll stay frozen, trapped in the distant past..."  
  
"...Who the bloody hell is this old hag...!?"  
  
"Me? Oh, just an old lady...pay me no mind. Thank you for listening to this old maid for such a long time. I certainly hope I haven't delayed you at all. But before you leave, which one of you..."  
  
With that, the old woman looksin my direction.  
  
"Ah, yes. You look like you've got a bit of a scrape there. Won't you let me have a look at it?"  
  
What should I do? I don't know whether to be petrified or comforted by all this...  
  
The old woman clasps her hands together. Bowing her head, she mumbles a few words in a low tone.  
  
Suddenly. a gentle pale blue light surrounds my body,  
filling me with a strange warmth!  
  
"Wow... llok at that!"  
  
My wounds are being healed before my eyes! It feels as though there's some sort of soft music being played all around me, putting me into a strange serenity.  
  
When I come around, the woman is gone.  
  
"Hello? Lady?" says Kid, relentlessly looking around.  
However, there's no trace of her. All signs of her presence are gone.  
  
"Wonder what was up with that old hag..."  
Looking around, I can't help but wonder what she was talking about, with all that talk about a prized possession and everything.  
  
"Let's get our arses outta here! This place givin' me the creeps!" says Kid all of a sudden, already heading for the door.  
  
"Hey, wait up."  
  
As I catch up with Kid, she gives me a friendly poke in the ribs. "Hmph, ain't no fair you were the only one who got healed."  
  
From here, the passageway stretches to the right and left. The right path continues on into the mansion, while heading to the left will take us to the terrace.  
  
Proceeding ahead on the path, we've come to a staircase going up, and... a firm-looking set of doors on the left.  
  
"There better be treasure here. The smell of gold's thick in the air, mate."  
  
"Hmph, just like I though... locked," Kid says after jiggling the handle. Frustrated, she kicks the door.  
  
"This might slow us down, but sure as bloddy 'ell won't keep us out!"  
  
"Well, unless we find the key, there's nothing we can do,  
Kid."  
  
"Let's get to it then. I bet Lynx's got it stashed up in his room somewhere, the bastard..."  
  
unable to do anything, we leave to look elsewhere.  
  
With Kid in the lead, we ascend the narrow staircase...  
  
The cracked stone stairs seem to endlessly twist upwards. It feels like we're heading up to a scaffold to be executed...  
  
Atop the staircase, an old but solid door waits for us sliently. This damp place fulls me with a feeling of dread.  
  
"There's a faint voice comin' from the other side of the door," says Kid. I fear the worst.  
  
"Maybe we should check somewhere else..." I say.  
  
"What'sa matter, ya chicken?" she says whil glancing at me, but I can tell by the sound of her voice that she isn't feeling much better about this than I am. There's something wrong about this place, and we all know it...  
  
It's a small room, one you'd find in a stone tower. It's empty, and I can't find a single window in it.  
  
"What the hell kinda room is this?"  
  
Although she's trying to hide it, I notice a shiver running down Kid's spine.  
  
"There may be something of use here. Let us search more closely," Magil says quietly.  
  
"Ya really think we'll find somethin'? Hrmf..."  
  
Kid proceeds to the middle of the room, while I examine the walls and floor.  
  
The stone floor is filled with countless scratches, covered by splotches of a dry dark ink.  
  
"Hey Magil, would you come over here please? Something is carved into the wall here. I think it's an inscription of some sort..."  
  
Magil kneels down in front of the wall and examines the writing. Looking closer at it, it appears to be written in blood.  
  
"Indeed. This text has been worn down with age. Most of it is unreadable."  
  
Here's what I can make out"  
  
...won't las... mu... onger.  
...cia Dragoons.... nee...he encha.  
awor... order to... ...proof...  
  
Without any warning, the door slams shut! We stand up,  
taken by suprise!  
  
Then suddenly, a low rumbling starts to fill the room!  
  
"What's happening!?" Kid shouts, looking around frantically.  
  
"What's that above us!?"  
  
"What now? There's no time to lose!"  
  
Kid flies like an arrow, ramming against the door!  
  
Her small body bounces back -- the door is far too heavy!  
  
"Bollocks!"  
  
Magil streaks across the room like a hurricane, dashing against the solid oak!  
  
The door creaks, but hold tight!  
  
My turn.  
  
I ram into the door with all my strength!  
  
"Aaarrgh!"  
  
A heavy shock shoots through my body, but the door doesn't budge an inch!  
  
The rumbling continues to get louder and louder,  
reminding us of the rusty blades, eager to greet us!  
  
"Serge! Magil! Come on, together!"  
  
Th three of us start to ram against the door simultaneously with all our strength!  
  
The door hinge gives! We stumble outside, barely escaping certain death!  
  
Behind us, we hear the gut-wrenching sounds of the blades metting the stone floor. I watch the morbid scene in a daze, gasping huge breaths of air.  
  
Finally, the grinding sound fades away. It seems the ceiling has stopped.  
  
"Damn that Lynx, toyin' with us like that..."  
  
"So, this is the torture chamber. I wonder how many of the Acacia Dragoons it has claimed," Magil whispers.  
  
"Who?" I ask.  
  
"The Acacia Dragoons. They were once an elite force serving General Viper, a powerful man who used to rule the western territory of Gerzbuehle. They were defeated more than ten years ago, by the very hands of Lord Lynx. By the looks of things, we have apparently found their resting place."  
  
"Eh, who cares," says Kid as she stands up. "Gernals and Knights and everything, it sounds like some old bedtime story."  
  
Magil shrugs his shoulders in silence as we start down the stairs, eager to get away from this awful place.  
  
With Kid leading the way, we descend the stairs...  
  
At the bottom of the staircase a quite sturdy looking door stands on the right. The hallway also continues on ahead, which will take us back towards the terrace.  
  
After a little while, we end up back at Lynx's quarters.  
Oh man, I can feel Kid's blood boiling from here.  
  
"Lynx's quarters... I sure hope that key's in here somewhere."  
  
"Bet that mirror could tell us where it is!" Kid says,  
removing its large silk cloth.  
  
The dark mirror looms before us like a still lake on a moonless evening.  
  
"Is there something you wish to know?" the Venus statue's reflection asks.  
  
"If you know where the key to the treasure vault is,  
could you please tell us?"  
  
The mirror's surface begins to ripple. The whirling smoke soon takes shape into a picture of a large room,  
decorated with rows and rows of books.  
  
In a beautiful womanly voice, the mirros responds, "The key you seek, as you see before you, rests within this room. Towards the rear of this great sanctuary of knowledge, within a large purple book, you will find the item you so desire."  
  
The image slowly fades, and returns to a normal reflection.  
  
"The spirit has apparently moved to another mirror,"  
Magil says.  
  
"Okay, let's head for the study!"  
  
As I head for the door, I suddenly get the feeling I'm being watched. I come to stop and look around.  
  
Then, suddenly, a faint whisper reaches my ears. "...Be careful, they know..."  
  
Whose voice was that? It wasn't any of ours...  
  
The mirror... it wouldn't double-cross us, would it?  
  
Kid heads out the door, bolting down the corridor. I frantically chase after her, easily as eager as she is.  
  
Heading back, we travel through the passageway, eager to shake this feeling of dread.  
  
After walking a ways, we come to a beautifully decorated set of doors on the left.  
  
Continuing on through the passage, we eventually come to a branch.  
  
We see an upwards staircase on the left, as well as a stone archway directly ahead.  
  
I follow Kid up the narrow set of stairs, hoping not to lose my balance...  
  
Just ahead of me, I bump into Kid, who's come to a complete stop.  
  
"Somthin's wrong, mate."  
  
I stop my breath, trying to listen for anything.  
  
Then, out of the darkness... "Clunk... clunk... clunk..."  
  
Something's ahead of us on the path. Whatever it is, it's coming for us.  
  
I nervously unsheathe my knife, trying to ignore my anxiety for this inevitable confrontation, now only moments away!  
  
"It's a skeleton!!"  
  
Quick, what do we do!?  
  
The skeleton takes a step forward with its sword in hand!  
  
Just as Magil begins to move in on it, it raises its arms overhead. Staring at him with a strange look in its eyes,  
Magil suddenly stops dead in his tracks!  
  
"Magil! Snap out of it!" I shout, but his eyes are totally glazed over, completely unawhere of his situation! What am I going to do!?  
  
I start to bolt towards the gruesome creature!  
  
Avoiding a deadly slash by its rusty sword, I aim a kick for the skeleton's mid-section!  
  
And with that, the skeleton breaks in two, toppling down to the ground as I carefully back away!  
  
As the skull hits the ground, it shatters into countless pieces!  
  
"What was up with you back there!?" Kid shouts at Magil, her eyes firmly planted on him. "Snap out of it already!"  
  
Magil blinks a few times, dazed. He seems to be all right now.  
  
I really think I'm a starting to get the hang of this whole fighting thing. I'm barely hurt at all!  
  
"You got a thing or two to learn, but yer gettin' there,  
mate."  
  
Kid's mischevious eyes sparkle as I glance at her for a moment in the dim moonlight.  
  
I set off down the corridor with her, ready for what's next.  
  
We head down the path. After a while, it ends at a stained wooden door. This is the study, I think...  
  
"Okay! Time to find that key!" Kid says as she steps into the center of the room, surrounded by row after row of books.  
  
"Where did that crazy mirror say we could find it? Hey,  
Serge, pay attention when I'm talkin' to ya!"  
  
"Huh? I thought you remembered which one it was..."  
  
"So which is it?"  
  
"Hmmm... I'm pretty sure it's that purple book over there... I think..."  
  
"Which one? Oh, I see it."  
  
Kid pulls out a purple book, towards the bottom of the shelves. I watch closely as she opens it up. Flipping through the pages, suddenly an old brass key falls out of the book, hitting the ground with a clank!  
  
"All right! The key!!"  
  
Throwing the book aside, Kid bends down and grabs the key. Her eyes light up as she stares at it in her hands. We race out of the study, eager to see what awaits us in the vault.  
  
Magil follows behind a moment later, after returning the book to the shelf.  
  
We leave the study, retracing our steps through the dark passageway. Finally, the passage comes to a three-way branch.  
  
Proceeding ahead on the paths, we back to the firm-looking set of doors, the Treasury.  
  
"It better open now," says Kid, putting the key we found into the lock.  
  
As the lock clicks, we're suddenly showered in all colors of light!  
  
"Must been and enchanted lock... Whatever's on the other side of this door's gotta be good!"  
  
The heavy doors open, slowly...  
  
Inside the room, I gasp at the awesome spectacle laid out before our eyes.  
  
Despite the sparse light, a brimming mountain of silver,  
gold, and other precious-looking artifacts shimmer and twinkle throughout this huge treasure vault. Kid is almost drooling at the sight. But to be fair, a sight like this would captivate most people...  
  
Enourmous heaps of riches are piled before our eyes, in amounts most people will probably never see in their entire lives. It looks to be authentic...  
  
"Remember, our goal is the Flame. Do not waste time with frivolities," says Magil flatly.  
  
"Jeez, I told ya, I know..."  
  
Regardless of Magil's warning, Kid can't help but be taken aback. She gawks at the room's contents in awe,  
until...  
  
"Hey, what's that? In the back, on that pedestal..."  
  
There, a palm-sized jewel radiates a pale crimson light,  
resting patienty behind the other treasure. It looks as though it's a roaring flame that's somehow been frozen in time...  
  
The Frozen Flame!!  
  
As Magil glide over towards the pedestal, I nervously call out  
  
"Be careful... we can't afford falling into a trap."  
  
"Hmph, fine," Kid frustratedly says, glancing back at the door. "Just remember we're short on time!"  
  
After investigating the pedestal for a little while.  
"Serge was correct. It does seem to be trapped."  
  
Magil steps back, mumbling something in a low voice while placing his hand near the base of the pedestal.  
  
Slowly an inscription begins to emerge on its surface,  
shining brightly for a moment.  
  
Serge's party got the Frozen Flame!!  
  
Whew... we did it! With a sigh of relief, I turn towards Magil. He's looking intently at the Flame.  
  
"Way to go, Magil! All right, let's..."  
Suddenly, the gem shatters into a thousand pieces in Magil's head!  
  
"It's a fake. Indeed, that fiend Lynx would never have left the real Flame in a place like this."  
  
"Damn..."  
  
Suddenly, an alarm bell rings out! The room lights up,  
and heavy metal bars fall in front of the door!  
  
Our only exit is blocked!  
  
I look around, only to see Kid holding a fancy crown,  
suddenlt realizing what she's done...  
  
Serge's party got the Golden Crown!!  
  
"That, that dimwitted dingo!!" I say to myself.  
  
Suddenly, out of the corners of the room, four mechanical birds suddenly come to life!  
  
"INTRUDER ALERT!! INTRUDER ALERT!!"  
  
Their loud metallic screeching only adds to my unesasiness!  
  
"It doesn't look like it will open," says Magil. checking the iron bars in front of the door.  
  
But, before Magil can even finish his sentence, we start to hear deep, snarling voices, somewhere outside the room...  
  
"Which way is coming from?" a heavy voice asks.  
  
"Sounds like the treasure vault's alarm to me."  
  
The voices continue to get louder and louder as we stand motionless inside the room. We silently gawk at each other, hoping any one of us will have some sort of plan.  
  
Kid hides herself under a mountain of a gold coins.  
  
"Quick, hide, mate!"  
  
I frantically look around the room.  
  
There! Over in the far corner, there's an empty treasure chest behind a post. I dash over towards it, climb in, and close the lid.  
  
"Looks like there's no one here, boss."  
  
"That's strange. No one's ever been able to escape this old thing..."  
  
Softly opening the lid of the chest, I take a peek outside through the small crack and see five goblins, bedecked in armor, having unlocked the iron bars and standing just a few feet from me.  
  
They looka round the room restlessly, peeking into the shadows. Eventually, one of them raises his head to speak.  
  
"Maybe a rat set it off. The cook was complaining about rats just the other day."  
  
"Rats? Are you trying to tell me a rat set off the trap?" a fat goblin questions the other with a doubtful face.  
  
And, with that... "Squeak... squeak, squeak," comes from the corner, over by where Kid's hiding...  
  
Taken aback, the goblins stop moving, and look at each other. After a little while, the chief slowly strokes his chin and says, "No, actually, wasn't it stray cats that the cook was complaining about?"  
  
"...Meow, meow," comes the voice a second time.  
  
Again, the goblins glance at each other. "That's strange, what I heard was that it was a vicious Heckran that raided the pantry, I think."  
  
Not a peep this time... I can only picture Kid racking her brain, trying to think of what Heckran sounds like...  
  
"Just as I thought -- a thief," says one of the guards.  
But, just as they start to approach...  
  
"he... Hekeikekekekeke...heke, hekeike, ranranran!"  
  
"Oh, well then, it certainly is a Heckran! Without a doubt!" one of them says, exchanging a smile with the others.  
  
"Well, that's pretty frightening then. Come one, let's get out of here."  
  
The pack begins to file out of the treasure vault.  
  
But then, suddenly, the goblins all spring on the pile of gold!  
  
"Well, what do we have here?"  
  
"Hey! Get yer hands off me, ya slimy freaks!" Kid says,  
struggling to break free.  
  
"Slimy? A thief like yourself isn't in much of a position to criticize!" one of them hollers at her.  
  
Kicking herself free of their grasp, Kid inches back into the corner of the room. The goblins start to corner her off, laughing to themselves...  
  
I quietly sneak out of my hiding place and unsheathe my knife. Taking on an enitre troupe of armed goblins is a lost cause, even for Kid.  
  
What should I do? Frankly I'm in a quandary...  
  
I've got to save her.  
  
Yeah, I can't abandon my friends, especially at a time like this.  
  
Gripping my knife tightly, I charge into the center of the room, shouting, "Hey, you stupid oafs!"  
  
They all turn around, stating at me blankly for a moment, before their expressions turn to rage.  
  
"You just came out here to die. Didn't you, little man."  
  
Gulp...  
  
"You really want us to trample over your head that badly? Well, I suppose we can accommodate you," the goblin boss says, giving a deep laugh.  
  
Without a moment's hesitation, Kids shouts back. "Don't think you can easily pick a fight with the like of the great Kid and get away with it!!"  
  
"Wait a minute, so you're the elusive Kid?" the boss asks, as its eyes softly narrow. "How sweet this is.  
Perhaps if I deliver your head to Lord Lynx, he'll give me a nice reward..."  
  
The boss goblin takes its morning star from its side. The huge iron ball jangles down to the floor.  
  
"Please don't confuse us with just any ordinary goblins.  
Striking fear into the hearts of men everywhere, we are Lynx's Elite Security Force, the fearsome Magical Gobbler Team!"  
  
"If ya got time to sput off all that nonsense, then ya sure got enough time to get yer arses kicked!" Kid shouts, exploding with a fierce roundhouse kick!  
  
The goblins teeters and staggers, dizzied by the brunt of her attack!  
  
"Let's get 'em, boys! Start with that little twerp over there!"  
  
Metal balls begin to swing around, swishing through the air with deadly speed!  
  
"Jet Gobbler Attack! Now!"  
  
Sliding across the floor like the wind, the goblins simultaneously rush us!  
  
A side shot from the goblin's morning star slices through the air!  
  
I try to dodge, but...  
  
Intense pain shoots into my side! I hit the floor with a tremendous thud!  
  
"Serge! Get up!!"  
  
Hearing Kid's words, I somehow totter to my feet,  
cradling my wounded stomach.  
  
I can't let myself falter now... I've got stay focused!  
  
Another huge Iron ball whizzes through the air, swinging down towards me!  
  
As quickly as I can, I roll over an try to dodge the attack!  
  
Yes! The iron ball smashes into the floor, sending sparks flying everywhere!  
  
It misses me by a hairs breadth. I frantically scramble away from the weapon.  
  
Looking up, all I see is a goblin coming at me head on,  
ready to bash its weapon into my skull!!  
  
I feel the gust of wind from the metal ball as it closely grazes by me!  
  
Somehow, I manage to dodge safely! However, I fall off balance and hit the ground with a thud.  
  
Beside me, an arrow of light jumps out from Magil's fingertips, instantly pulverizing the goblin!  
  
The goblin topples to the ground, half vaporized. Magil stares at it with his ever-present eyes of steel as his dark cape flaps in the breeze.  
  
I see another iron ball coming at me.  
  
I've got to think of a better strategy than just standing around! I quickly put my weight onto the goblin,  
trying to force it off balance!  
  
Unfazed, the goblin moves only a little as I collide with it.  
I, however, bump off and tumble to the ground!  
  
"Aaarrgh!" I scream as the goblin kicks me in the ribs!  
  
Another muderous goblin...  
  
Frantically parrying the goblin's attack, I try to lunge with my knife...  
  
However, before I can do anything, the goblin snaps me up in its thick arms and smashes me as hard as it can into the floor!  
  
My mind goes completely blank from the shock.  
  
Kid comes to my aid, delivering a lightning-quick strike to one of the goblins!  
  
"What's the matter, huh!? Where's yer Magical Gobbler skills now, or watever ya call it?"  
  
The goblin can't help but collapse onto the floor in pain.  
Kid boots it in the jaw before backing away for her next attack.  
  
"Quit screwin' around, Serge! Keep an eye on yer own trouble!"  
  
Another huge iron ball...I'm ready  
  
I dodge it just like before. They're ready, coming head on.  
  
Just then, I start to hear an odd howling noise from behind me. I turn around to see Magil's Black Wind spell streaking out from his fingertips, transforming in midair into a countless number of razors! They fly like homing missiles into one of goblins, cutting it to shreds!  
  
"H, how can a human have such power? Who are you?  
Aaauughh!!"  
  
The goblin shrieks in fear as its body is effortlessly torn to pieces! Magil's expression remains unchanged as he silenty surveys the scene, looking for his next target.  
  
"Long live Lord Lynx! Glory to the Magical Gobblers!"  
says the last of the goblins as it comes crashing to the ground in a bloody mess!  
  
Phew... that's the last of them.  
  
"Easy... easy," says Kid, wiping some sweat off her brow.  
  
"Dammit Serge, yer such a loon, thikin' you could rescue me from those goons like that. Heh, it worked out pretty well though, eh mate?"  
  
"We must be on our way," Magil says. "There's no way of knowing who else knows we're here now."  
  
"I know. that bastard's causin' us too much trouble..."  
  
"They said they were Lynx's personal guards, yeah? They might have some valuable stuff on 'em..." but before she finishes speaking, Kid starts to search through the head goblin's clothes.  
  
Sheesh, there's really no need to be such a scavenger...  
  
"Hey, what's this?" she says, removing a small metal object from the goblin's pocket. It's a hand-shaped medallion of some sort, covered in archaic-looking symbols.  
  
"It's a key," Magil says, walking over toward us. "These markings suggest it unlocks a certain magical seal."  
  
"Wow... well, their loss," says Kid, casually putting the plate in her pocket.  
  
"Dammit, they don't have any other good stuff. Cheap goblins...."  
  
She stands up and looks around, sighing. "It'd be a waste to leave all this loot behind, though!"  
  
"We can always come back for it later, Kid."  
  
Kid turns around and grins. "Yeah, yer right. Okay, let's go. The night won't last forever."  
  
From the treasure vault, paths extend to the left and right. The right path proceeds back towards the terrace,  
while an ascending staircase lies to the left.  
  
After a while, the path splits into three directions. To the left is a descending staircase, while the path on the righ extends into darkness. Another passageway lies ahead...  
  
We wen't down the all-to-familiar stairs.  
  
Peeping in from the arched entranceway, Kid looks astonished. "Wow, look at this! I heard about these things, they're called atriums."  
  
A large fountain sits in the center of this beautiful room. Looking across the way, another archway similar to this one leads off into darkness.  
  
"Whoa, cold!" Kid exclaims, taking her hand out of the water.  
  
Coming to her side, I kneel down and peer into the pond.  
Leaning over the beautiful marble edge, I too feel the chilly water.  
  
From deep beneath the surface, a number of fish start to swim toward us.  
  
"These buggers look expensive..."  
  
I can't seem to see the bottom of the pond. I wonder how deep it is...  
  
the fish are a little restless, splashing here and there.  
Suddenly, Kid tugs at my arm, jerking my hand out of the water. Before I can ask why, one of the fish leaps out, snapping out at me.  
  
We scramble to our feet and take a few steps back from the fountain.  
  
Many other fish soon follow, jumping out of th water,  
snapping at us. A few land outside of the pond. I kick one of them into a corner. Watching it violently squirm around, it appears to be a piranha.  
  
More and more of them emerge from the apparently bottomless depth.  
  
Having gotten a fresh scent of game, the piranhas start to splash around more viciously now, getting water everywhere.  
  
I wonder how many of these things could be in there...It looks like there are more and more of them emerging every second  
  
Suddenly, a dark red liquid starts to erupt from the fountain! Kid leaps back at once. I'm shocked as well,  
staring dumbfoundedly at the erupting fountain...  
  
The gushing red liquid shoots higher and higher! The water level in the pond rapidly rises, taking on a disgusting red hue!  
  
Before long, the water level has started to overflow onto the floor! A bead of sweat rolls down my brow as I realize that the room is about to fill with water!  
  
We might be able to make it to a safe distance before the pirhanas reach us. Quick, what do we do?  
  
"Come on, we're outnumbered!"  
  
Splashing through the water, we turn back, heading for the passageway from where we came.  
  
However, a few of them manage to sink their teeth into met before I can get away!"  
  
I kick off the last remaining few as I bolt out of this vile room!  
  
"Phew... what a close call."  
  
"That rat bastard... Whatever trick he's got up his sleeve,  
it won't stop us for long. We're comin' for ya, Lynx!"  
  
While resting on a wall to tend to my wounds, I look up and notice something out of the ordinary.  
  
"Hey, was this here before...?"  
  
Carved into the wall, a large marble sculpture of an intimidating face stares down at us coldly.  
  
It looks as though it's been sculpted by a fine artisan.  
It's very detailed -- its features are beautifully etched and barely eroded.  
  
"It's a Mouth of Truth," Magil says.  
  
"A what?"  
  
"A Mouth of Truth. The legend is that if you are given to lying, a Mouth of Truth will know it if you put your hands into its mouth."  
  
"Oh, what a hard idea," Kid says, rolling her eyes.  
  
"Let's see you do it," I say.  
  
Kid looks up worried, but seeing Magil looking at her,  
feels a resolve and tentatively puts her hands in the mouth.  
  
However, after a few seconds, nothing seems to be happening.  
  
"Hey, whaddaya know, guess I passed the test!"  
  
Hmm... that can't be all there is to it...  
  
Ah! I know.  
  
"Kid, how many pounds do you weigh?"  
  
"A hundred anf four! Err..."  
  
Kid suddenly takes on a worried look, but before she can remove her hands, the marble set of teeth clamps down onto her wrists!  
  
"Hey, ya stupid face! What's goin' on!?"  
  
The white marble teeth gnaw from side to side, becoming stained with red!  
  
"Dammit, lemme go!!"  
  
Magil calmly offers and explanation from behind us.  
  
"Without saying something truthful to the best of one's ability, a Mouth of Truth will never let go."  
  
Not hearing him at all, Kid kicks the stone face in a fit of anger.  
  
"Lemme go, ya stupid face! I swear I'm gonna knock yer teeth in!!"  
  
Then, as swiftly as it closed, the mouth opens!  
  
I crouch down to Kid, who's kneeling on the floor,  
rubbing her wrists.  
  
"Wow, I guess you weren't lying about knocking its teeth in..."  
  
"'Course not, mate... I showed 'im good. Bloody stone face..."  
  
"You didn't put anything inside the mouth, did you,  
Kid?" Magil asks.  
  
"What're ya talkin' about? No...!"  
  
I walk over beside Magil and peer into the mouth. There,  
behind its teeth, is a large pink tongue. I think there's some sort of an indentation in it, but I can't be sure -  
it's really far back in there.  
  
"Maybe it wants us to put something on its tongue.  
maybe that's the real test."  
  
Kid begins taking out her things. From in her pockets,  
under her shoes, and out of her hair, she gathers all sorts of personal effects. She streches the pile of trinkets held in her hands out to me, smiling innocently.  
  
Guess it's my turn to face the test. As long as Kid's safe, I'm happy, I suppose.  
  
Wondering what the Mouth of Truth could possibly want,  
I reach for one of her accessories...  
  
I take the hand-shaped plate. Its strange, contorted symbols give me a headache just by looking at them.  
Nervously, I reach in and place it onto the tongue...  
  
It's a perfect fit!  
  
Sliding it into place, I quickly remove my hand and back away a few steps. The huge white eyes start moving around slowly, and a slight vibration can be felt from behind the wall.  
  
Something's happening... something big. I just wish I knew whether it's good or bad.  
  
An odd sound escapes from the Mouth of Truth as its eyes continue to roll.  
  
I want to make a run for it. However, I look over and see the ever-fearless expression in Kid's eyes, and stay my ground.  
  
"Uh... um...."  
  
Suddenly, the marble sculpture stops moving. I stare at it, wondering what's going on.  
  
Then, its tongue starts to roll around inside its mouth,  
while its eyes tilt further and further upwards until its pupils disappear underneath its eyelids.  
  
We hear the plate sliding down its throar, vanishing into the deep, dark depths of the mansion!  
  
"Wh, what's happening?"  
  
"Apparently a pious being such as this may roll its eyes from time to time."  
  
The simple fact that Magil tried to make a joke just there makes me stop and forget where I am for a second.  
  
"All that's gonna happen is yer gonna lose another one of my things. I coulda got a lot of cash for that," Kid says regrettably.  
  
Suddenly, over by the atrium, we start to hear some sort of a latch being opened. And then, moments later,  
the sound of water draining echoes throughout the corridor!  
  
Taking a few steps towards the atrium, I see the red water has formed into a whirlpool and is flowing down into the pond. The piranhas are being washed away!  
  
"What'sa matter, lil fishies? Not enough water? Aw.  
playtime's over, ya nasty buggers."  
  
"Come on, I'm dying to see what's past that fountain!"  
  
Having crossed through the atrium, eventually we come to a split in the path. We can either go left or right from here.  
  
After a bit of walking, we come to an old-looking door with a brass handle.  
  
"Dammit, another locked door."  
  
"I don't get it, there's no smell of gold or nothin'."  
  
"This leads to Viper Manor's catacombs," says Magil hesitantly.  
  
...He's right. Standing here in silence, I realize there's a faint scent of death on the air. And then, putting my ear to the door, I start to hear deep, tortured moans from far beyond...  
  
I jump back, looking at the door. "Ummm.... let's try somewhere else."  
  
Heading away from the catacombs, we eventually come to a split. Turning right heads back to the atrium, while ahead of us, I can see nothing but a dark, stone corridor, leading off into darkness...  
  
We slowly walk down the stairs, taking us deep below ground. It's as though we're descending further and further into an endless abyss...  
  
Once we reach the bottom, we come to another split. We can go left or right, but boths paths look equally dismal.  
  
After a little ways, we're presented with a sturdy set of doors.  
  
A wooden plaque has been hung above the door frame.  
Only one word is written on it -- ARMORY  
  
"Armory, eh. The key to the catacombs has gotta be in here."  
  
Kid places her ear on the door. "Not a peep."  
  
Someone is here, however.  
  
With a book in hand, a single goblin sits in a chair,  
humming to itself. A sweet aroma fills the room,  
presumably from the teacup sitting on the table before it.  
  
There's something different about this goblin. It doesn't seem hostile in the least.  
  
Looking up from its book, it examines us from behind its bifocals.  
  
"Ah, welcome. It's rare to have visitors all the way down here."  
  
"Too bead we're not guests!" Kid shouts. "If you wanna live, tell us where the key to the catacombs is!"  
  
And with that, Kid takes her knife and thrusts it into the desk, slicing through the tablecloth.  
  
The goblin remains docile.  
  
"Ah, you must be the elusive Kid. I so wanted to see you with my own eyes. We've all heard so much about you..."  
  
But before it can finish its sentence, Kid grabs the knife and hurls it through the air.  
  
The goblin sets it book down, now unreadable due to the seven-inch blade protruding through it. It removes the knife and places it on the table.  
  
"Your reputations precedes you. You are quite a radical young lady. Nevertheless, it's a shame... I wanted to see how that nocel ended up."  
  
"Please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Esmeld,"  
it says, offering a simple introduction.  
  
"Please, I do hate to keep my guests standing at bay,  
Come, sit, and we shall converse over tea."  
  
My first though is that it's poisoned. Despite my converns, Magil sits down.  
  
Trusting Magil, I sit down next to him. Surely he's got something up his sleeve.  
  
Looking at Kid, she truly doesn't want anything to do with this. She remains standing, keeping a vigilant eye on Esmeld.  
  
Black tea is set for three at the table.  
  
"Ah, there we are."  
  
After a moment, Magil takes the teacup, and brings it slowly yo his mouth. He takes a sip, and then sets the cup back on the table.  
  
Esmeld smiles.  
  
"Ah, Himalayan Chimpanzee. I've not had this belnd in quite some time," Magil says.  
  
"I see you are a gentleman of fine taste. I will have you know, not many of my visitors have known of this type of black tea."  
  
Listening to their banter, I stare at my cup.  
  
Could it really be poisoned...? Picking up the teacup, I bring it close to my mouth. It doesn't smell so bad...  
  
"Delcious!" I exclaim. I've never had anything like this before...  
  
I loosen up a bit, sitting back in my chair.  
  
Wait a sec, what's going on? My wounds, they're being healed!  
  
Looking over towards Kid, she seems to be enjoying it as well.  
  
"So, let's get down to business. Certainly the key to the catacombs has to be around somewhere. Whether I remember where it is, however... that's a different story."  
  
"I enjoy chatting with the many types of visitors that we have in the mansion. Surely, as an adventurer, you must have plenty of interesting stories to tell."  
  
Adding to this, he looks in my direction with a smile.  
  
"I look highly on unique stories, and have been known to reward such storytellers..."  
  
Staring down at the dark liquid before me, I start to rack my brain for a really good story...  
  
Okay, I've got it!  
  
On one particular evening, a small girl walked through a dark, dreary forest.  
  
The girl suddenly came across a large beetle. Taking it back to her home, the girl painted the beetle from head to toe with a shiny golden paint.  
  
"Hmmmm.... a fine beginning, perhaps. Is that all?"  
  
"No! Umm..."  
  
I repeated what I had so far.  
  
The next morning, the girl went to town the sell the beetle.  
  
Claiming it was a good luck beetle, she showed it to many travelers, and eventually sold it for an outrageous sum of money!"  
  
"Yeah, Serge... and I'll bet the girl's name was Kid, wasn't it."  
  
From beside me, chills run down my spine as I hear Kid question me in her coldest tone.  
  
"I made it up, Kid..." I whisper to her. Maybe she really did so something like that in the past. Glancing at her, I see her eyes start to cloud over.  
  
Then, suddenly, she starts choking me, wrapping both her hands around my neck!  
  
"How do you know all this!?" Kid yells, strangling me!  
  
From behind me, I see Esmeld pull out one of his tea bags,  
Noticing it, she suddenly forgets all about me, her eyes lighting up at the sight of the tea.  
  
"Perhaps some of my precious black tea leaves can be used to prevent against ruckus in here."  
  
Kid immediately snatches the tea bag.  
  
"...It was a fairly entertaing story. I am a giblin of my word, and as such, I shall give you the key." he says,  
knocking on a certain spot at a nearvy wall. A secret compartment opens, from where he takes the key!  
  
Headin away from the Armory, we come upon an upwards staircase on the right. This passage also continues on ahead...  
  
After a little while, the passage ends at a small door. "Hey, I smell home cookin'..."  
  
"Oh, it's just a small kitchen."  
  
"For the servants, probably," I add.  
  
I look around the tiny room. There's a sink, pots and pans, and a bunch of food in the cupboards. A rat hangs in a cage off in a corner, but aside from that, it's a pretty average kitchen.  
  
Kid walks over to a deep saucepan and peers inside.  
  
"Mmm... smells fresh. Want some grub, Serge?"  
  
"Uhh, sure..."  
  
I timidly peer into the saucepan. It looks like some sort of stew. Using the ladle on the stove, I reach in and take a big scoop...  
  
"Mmmm, delicious!"  
  
Kid looks at me again. After a moment of hesitation, she comes over. "Quit hoggin' it all for yerself, mate!" she says, taking the ladle and sniffing the warm mixture.  
  
"Want some, Magil?"  
  
"No, thank you."  
  
We take some bowls from the shelves, and serve ourselves some more.  
  
As we eat more and more, the stew's warmth flows all through us! I feel great!  
  
But then, all of a sudden, a quiet shrill voice echoes out.  
It seems to be coming from over by the cage. "Ah, what an independent young land... are all the boys wearing braids these days?"  
  
I stop and look at Kid.  
  
"Who's there!?"  
  
Looking over in the direction of the voice, we see nothing but the single rat. It stares at us with its small, beady eyes...  
  
"Ah, excuse me... you're a girl, not a boy."  
  
It looks like Kid can't decide whether to be puzzled or infuriated by all this. But just between you and me, I don't think this is the first time her personality has led someone to think she's a guy...  
  
At any rate, the brown rat continues. "Listen, please,  
kind humans! I am trapped withing a most unfortunate situation. While on my way to the kitchen this morning to bring home some food for my mother, goblins seized me and trapped my here in this cage! Unless I can escape, I am to be a side-dish for their next meal!"  
  
A side-dish...?  
  
Listening to the rat, Kid walks over to the sink.  
  
"Please, you must help me! My desperately ill mother awaits my return!" the rat pleads, its eyes twinkling in the light.  
  
However, I look over towards Kid. She's over by the sink,  
her face getting redder and redder...  
  
"Stupid rat! Don't even know a lday when ya see one!"  
Kid yells, stomping out of the kitchen.  
  
"Oh, young lady... I did not mean to..."  
  
With Kid gone, the rat turns towards me. "Brother... help me..."  
  
"I understand."  
  
I open the cage door. The rat quickly scurries out.  
  
"Heh, heh," the rat laughs, as a strange smile comes over its face. "You really are a bunch of fools."  
  
Spitting out those words, the rat suddenly starts to tremble, before rapidly growing in size, growing larger and larger by the second!  
  
It's a gryphon!!  
  
"Stupid human. You're just in time for lunch! My mother's that is!"  
  
"Dammit Serge, yea walked right into its trap!!"  
  
Oh man... what was I thinking?  
  
The gryphon rises up onto its hind legs, screeching and flapping its huge wings! Suddenly, its sharp talons swoop down at us!  
  
I frantically try to dodge the beast, hoping to avoid those terrifying three-inch claws. I manage to avoid its blow, but I'm now cornered into the back of them room!  
  
As it inches near me for a strike, it rises up onto its hind legs once again, this time even higher than before!  
  
However, in a moment of blind luck, the gryphon suddenly loses balance on the slippery floor and comes crashing to the ground!  
  
"Urrghhh..."  
  
Wow, talk about close calls... I let out a breath of relief as I stand over the gryphon, wondering what to do next.  
  
"So ya ugly little rat... now who's stupid?"  
  
"Uhh.... wait! Please, I beg you, kind, beautiful human girl!!"  
  
"I am aware of valued information! If you promise to spare my life, I will tell you a special secret of the mansion!"  
  
"I dunno... you lied already, ya bugger... I'd rather just kill ya and have it be over with," Kid says, taking a step closer.  
  
"Kid, let us hear what he has to say," Magil says,  
coming between them. Kid pauses for a second, and then steps back.  
  
"Th, thank you!"  
  
"That woulda been fun..." Kid says shrugging.  
  
"One day, you too may find yourselves within my situation, caged in on all sides! If such a fate comes to pass, remember these directions, and your lives shall be spared!  
  
Right three steps.  
Left two steps.  
Right two steps.  
And then you'll see!"  
  
No sooner than it says this, the gryphon transforms back into a rat, scurrying off into a crack in the wall.  
  
"I sure hope sparin, that thing was worth it. Who knows when it'll sneak up on us next..."  
  
Before long, we come to an ascending staircase on the left. The passageway also continues on ahead...  
  
We head up the narrow stairwell with Kid leading the way.  
  
Coming to the top, we're faced with a dimly lit corridor.  
We head down it, quietly making our steps...  
  
Continuing on through the passage, eventually we come to a branch.  
  
If we turn left, we'll be taken back to the atrium.  
Heading straight through will take us to the catacombs.  
  
After a bit of walking, we come to an old-looking door with a brass handle.  
  
"Okay, the goblin's key should open this door," Kid says, putting the key into the lock.  
  
With a click, the door unlocks. The door opens with a deep creak...  
  
Damp air creeps up from below. Peering into the dark,  
decrepit place, I wonder how I ever got talked into coming to a place like this...  
  
We find ourselves in a long hallway, flanked on both sides by rows of countless jail cells. The cold iron bars stretch on in front of us endlessly...  
  
One... Two...  
  
A quiet, sobbing voice seems to be coming from the third cell on the right.  
  
I peer around the corner into the cell. In this dim, damp space, an old man sits in solitude, quietly mumbling to himself.  
  
"Hey, Mister..."  
  
"Everyone.. and it was all because of me. Every last one of the Dragoons... Miss Riddel... even the General...! Forgive me... please..."  
  
Ignoring us, the old man continues to mutter, staring at the floor as he rocks back and forth.  
  
"Hey, can ya hear me?" Kid says, shaking the bars a little.  
  
"He will not hear a thing. He has constructed a wall around himself," Magil says.  
  
"What do you mean?" I ask Magil.  
  
"A wall, used for shielding one's mind from reality. After being exposed to horrific events, tremendous amounts of pain and guilt has this effect on a person. He has made a safe world inside his own mind, where he retreats into.  
From there, he refuses to acknowledge anything he does not want to admit."  
  
I notice that talking about this has given Magil a sort of sad, lost look in his face. Noticing my glance, he quickly turns away from me.  
  
Strange... Magil somehow reminded me of Kid just then.  
  
When Magil turns back, his usual blank expression has returned.  
  
"Does this make sense to you, Serge?"  
  
"Yeah, it does..."  
  
Magil continues, looking at Kid and me. "We rarely see the walls we're trapped within. However, given time, some can come to understand and possibly even break free of these shortcomings... I......"  
  
I wait for Magil to finish, but he doesn't end up saying anything. I'd ask, but... oh well.  
  
The mind... Revealing itself to itself...  
  
"We can't help this old geezer. Let's get back to work,"  
Kid says, already heading for the door.  
  
"Wait, Kid," Magil calls out.  
  
"Somehow or another, we may yet find a way into this man's mind."  
  
"What good'll that do?"  
  
"Didn't you hear what he was talking about? The Dragoons, Riddel, General Viper..."  
  
"Aw, he's prollu just into old folklore or somethin'..." Kid says, returning to the door.  
  
"I have a feeling his knowledge will prove to be useful.  
Certainly he has heard something of importance concerning our situation," Magil says.  
  
"Well, I guess we oughta help the old bloke out with his troubles while we're here. What do ya say we do?" Kid asks.  
  
"Somehow, we have to put an end to this..."  
  
"Huh!?" Kid says, looking up. "You got a problem with me!?"  
  
"Eh!? N, no... that's not what I meant..."  
  
But before I can explain, Kid's fist suddenly flies into my face!  
  
Narrowly avoiding the blow, I look up to see Magil starting to speak again.  
  
"We must find a way to reach beyond his wall. For every locked door, there exists a key, so to speak. We will never make any progress with this man until we know what lies in his past."  
  
"What are you talkin' about, a key?" Kid asks.  
  
"I do not know either," Magil answers.  
  
"However, there is at least one person in Viper Manor who does."  
  
"...Riddel!"  
  
"Indeed."  
  
Leaving the endless rows of cells behind, we head back to the passageway.  
  
Heading away from the catacombs, we eventually come to a split. Turning right heads back to the atrium, while proceeding straight through will take us to a downward staircase.  
  
After heading down the dark, dingy passageway for a while, eventually I start to smell the pungent odor of dead fish...  
  
We return to the atrium.  
  
Ahead of us, we see another archway which will take us back to an upwards staircase, and eventually Lynx's and Riddel's quarters.  
  
We come to a branch after a ways. To our right lies a staircase going up, while the start of a dark passageway is directly ahead.  
  
We proceed through the dark passageway...  
  
Before long, we're greeted with a beautifully ornate set of doors on the right. These are the quarters of Riddel,  
Lynx's adopted daughter.  
  
We come to a comfortably decorated room. Small trinkets have been placed on the desk and shelves, adding some charm. The owner of this room has obviously gone to great lenghts to try and bring a somewhat graceful lifestyle into this otherwise dark mansion. Still, the room seems to carry an unsettling stillness with it.  
  
"Is someone there?"  
  
I instantly hide behind the door, trying to figure out where that voice came from. It sounded like a girl, but it wasn't Kid...  
  
It's Lynx's adopted daughter, Riddel! It has to be her!  
  
"Odd... I could have sworn I heard someone come in," she says. Apparently she hasn't seen us yet...  
  
What do we do? I keep myself hidden behind the door.  
  
Suddenly, Kid bolts out from behind a chair! She silently comes up behind Riddel, putting a knife to her throat!  
  
"We've come for the Frozen Flame -- where is it!!" Kid yells in a low, strict voice.  
  
"Kid... there's no need to be like that," I say, trying to calm her down.  
  
"Quiet, Serge!"  
  
Riddel giggles at the two of us.  
  
"What's so funny!!!" Kid says in a tight tone.  
  
"Oh, come one, you can't be thieves -- you're far too noisy!"  
  
"I wouldn't be sayin' such things if I was you!"  
  
"Well then, go ahead and cut me."  
  
At that moment, I picture in my head Riddel collapsing with a blue face, smeared in blood.  
  
"Kid, look at her. She's not going to hurt us."  
  
"Dammit... all right! Still, don't think I'm not keeping an eye on ya!"  
  
"The feeling is mutual," Riddel says.  
  
"Don't worry, we're not your enemies. We're not after your power," I say to Riddel, trying to keep cool.  
  
"We've just come to talk. If there's anything you could tell us about the Frozen Flame, or perhaps the Acacia Dragoons..."  
  
Hearing these words, a somber look comes over Riddel's face. After a moment, she begins to speak...  
  
"The Frozen Flame... it was kept in a kingdom to the north for centuries, legend has it...  
  
With its subtle, mysterious power, it allegedly could guide people to those who sought it, or so I have heard.  
  
At the time of that kingdom's downfall, it was seized from its resting place. Passed from hand to hand, finally it came into the posession of my father, General Viper.  
  
Lynx approached my father as a friend, years ago.  
Blindly trusting him, my father was taken advantage of by Lynx, unable to realize his true intentions...  
  
And so, on that fateful day, struck down by his alleged friend, my father was robbed, and left for dead..."  
  
Averting her eyes, Riddel buries her face in her hands.  
  
I didn't know... I didn't know Lynx was behind all this at the time he took me into custody. I was just a child...  
  
That cursed rock, I didn't know anything about it, and I don't want to! I don't want to have anything to do with it!!  
  
I want nothing more than to see this all come to an end," she says with tears in her eyes.  
  
I'm taken aback, hearing these words.  
  
Suddenly, Magil comes forward to speak. "Do you know of the old man who currently is locked away in the catacombs?"  
  
"That traitor! Because of him, my father... my dear Zorander...!!"  
  
"Please, Miss..."  
  
Turning her back on us, Riddel pauses. After a moment,  
she turns around, letting out a deep sigh.  
  
"...Yes, I know the man of whom you speak."  
  
"He is an Acacia Dragoon, is he not?" Magil asks.  
  
"He was, before he spent countless days and nights locked up in the toorture chamber, losing his mind as well as identity in the process...  
  
I remember the day they removed him from that dreadful room, beaten within an inch of his life..."  
  
"The torture chamber you speak of, it is the room upstairs with the trap ceiling, correct?"  
  
Riddel nods silently.  
  
"Perhaps we may find a clue to his past there," says Magil.  
  
I'd hoped it wouldn't come to this...  
  
"If you must search that room, be sure you have the Einlanzer with you before you do."  
  
"Eye-what?" Kid asks.  
  
"It is a holy white sword, created long ago by ancient sages along with its demonic brother, the Masamune.  
  
It was the Acacia Dragoons' most prized weapon. It once glided through the air in Zorander's hand, shimmering like a star...  
  
Now, however, the Dragoons are all but extinct, and the sword has been stored somewhere in this mansion, as though it was some sort of trivial memento...  
  
It is much more than a common sword, though. Shielded by its magical enchanment, its bearer will be protected against many forms of evil."  
  
Thinking of those memories of days long gone, again Riddel hangs her head in sadness. "I wish I could be more of a help to you. I apologize..."  
  
"New, that was plenty!" Kid says, heading out of the room.  
  
"But... I wish I was more powerful, like you people,"  
Riddel says, biting her lip.  
  
Stopping in the doorway, Kid looks over her shoulder.  
"Strength didn't get us her. Power comes from believing in yerself!"  
  
"I... I see. I wish you luck."  
  
As she heads out of the room, Kid mutters, "Hope it ain't bad luck..."  
  
From here, the passageway streches to the right and left.  
  
Heading to the right will take us to Lynx's quarters,  
while turning left will take us back to th ascending staircase.  
  
Continuing on through the passage, eventually we come to a branch.  
  
We see an upwards staircase on the left, as well as a stone archway directly ahead.  
  
I follow Kid up the narrow set of stairs, hoping not to lose my balance...  
  
We make our way down the dimly lit passageway. After a few moments, we come to an old, dusty door on the right. This is the clock tower storeroom, if I remember correctly...  
  
The room is quiet except for the sounds of the gears.  
There's no sign of the hooded lady anywhere.  
  
We rush over towards the sword. Looking down at it,  
Magil starts to speak.  
  
"This may be what we're looking for. By the looks of it,  
this sword could be the fabled holy Einlanzer, or perhaps the demonic Masamune..."  
  
"Wow Magil, you know about the Masamune?"  
  
"..............."  
  
"Did ya ever know its owner?"  
  
"..........Yes."  
  
"Was he yer mate?"  
  
"........"  
  
"So he was one of yer enemies then?"  
  
"........No."  
  
"Hmm... well, hey Serge, take this thing!"  
  
"Huh...?"  
  
"Come one, ya don't expect a fair maiden like me to carry this bulky thing all over the place, do ya? Well?"  
  
I grit my teeth and remind myself it would get me absolutely nowhere to argue with her...  
  
So, I go to Kid's side, and pick up the sword, just as I was told to.  
  
"Oof!"  
  
Jeez, it's heavy...!  
  
"Okay, let's get our arses to that bloody torture chamber! I can almost smell the Frozen Flame from here!"  
  
I follow Kid out of the room, dragging the heavy sword.  
  
We come the old, stoic-looking door, waiting for us silently atop the staircase.  
  
I look up, remembering the deadly ceiling. I'm definitely not going to repeat the mistake of overstaying my welcome here, especially after hearing what Riddel had to say.  
  
Somewhere inside this room, there has to be something that will bring that old man back... but what?  
  
"Just as I though," Magil says dryly, examining the cracks in the floor.  
  
Kid and I walk over, kneeling down where he's at.  
  
Between the of cracks between the floor's stones,  
there's a thick, smelly, butter-like substance that's been jammed into it, among the stains of blood.  
  
Without warning, the door suddenly slams shut!  
  
"It's started again!"  
  
"Okay, what do we do!?"  
  
"We hafta use the sword somehow!!" Kid yells, her voice almost inaudible thanks to the ceiling's deafening screeching.  
  
"But how...!?"  
  
With as much power as I can muster, I lift the heavy sword up and plunge it down into a crack in the center of the floor!  
  
A huge jolt runs through the room! Bolts of light scatter in all four directions from the sword, running along the floor, then up the walls!  
  
Reaching the ceiling, the deadly contraption groans, and them come to a halt!  
  
Exhausted and relieved, I collapse to the floor.  
  
After a minute, I catch my breath and open my eyes.  
  
Strange... now that I take another look at the inscription we found earlier, there's a certain stone just beside it that doesn't seem to have any cement around it...  
  
We walk over to it. Kid tugs on it and finds that it's loose.  
  
Removing the have stone, a dim glistening light can be seen from far within the hole. Kid reaches in, and carefully removes the shimmering object.  
  
A beautifully decorated gold ring sits in the palm of her hand! It's adorned with a slender set of leaves, like those of a fern, decorated with five small rubies around it.  
  
"The Acacian coat of arms," Magil says.  
  
Kid tries the ring on, but strangely enough, it doesn't seem to fit on any of her fingers.  
  
"This ring must mean something to the old man. We could use it to break through his wall, couldn't we?" I excitedly ask Magil, already knowing the answer.  
  
He nods in silence. Yeah, this has to be it!  
  
Abandoning the Einlanzer, now proudly standing upright like a beacon of light amidst this dismal room, we hurry out of the torture chamber, hopefully never to return again.  
  
With Kid leading the way, we descend the stairs...  
  
Suddenly, Kid comes to a stop.  
  
"Somethin' ain't right..."  
  
Hearing this, I immediately unsheathe my knife. I try to look ahead and behind, but all I can see is darkness.  
  
Wait, what was that? Up ahead, it looked like part of the wall moved! Yeah, right there -- one of the square tiles is moving right in front of eyes!  
  
Wait a second, that's not a tile at all... it's armor!  
  
"Hey over there, Mister G-o-b-l-i-n!!" Kid shouts. Come on, Kid... It looks awfully big...  
  
Having been discovered, the massive goblin squares off with it, coming out into full view.  
  
Uh oh... It's got friends.  
  
Two steps of footsteps behind me make me realize they amount to four in all. I keep my focus on the two in front of me, while Magil turns to face the rear.  
  
How could things so large camouflage themselves so well...  
  
Readying my knife, I set my sigh on the goblins before me. They've certainly got us in a pinch -- they've already blocked off all the escape routes in this tight corridor.  
We'll have to fight our way out of this one!  
  
Magil begins to confront the rear pack while Kid rushes the front two, knife in hand.  
  
I rush out with her, hurling myself into action!  
  
One of the goblins whips its morning star out, swinging its spiked iron ball down at me!  
  
Whoa!! I nearly miss it, leaping to the side at the last possible second! It comes crashing down, shattering the stone floor under it into a cloud of dust!  
  
Beside me, Kid leaps nimbly into the air, dodging a close attack! The scene here has been reduced through the air, thick wih the dusty haze of a shattered stone flooring!  
  
Looking over towards Kid, a glimmer of light flashes before me. And therem in front of us, a knife has suddenly been implanted deep into a goblin's left eye!  
  
Writhing in pain, the goblin hits the ground. I try not to look at it, keeping myself focused on the fight.  
  
There's no doubt, 'Float like a Butterfly, Sting like a Bee are words she lives by, here in the thick of combat.  
Withour a single problem handling herself, Kid's truly a natural.  
  
Another one of the goblins draws near soon after,  
already wildly swinging its morning star above its head!  
  
That's right! If Kid can do it, So can I!  
  
On the verge of the attack, I confront the goblin with my knife ready!  
  
It hurls its mornong star down at me! I leap to the side,  
thinking to myself it's now or never!  
  
The goblin is busy trying to bring its morning star out of the rubble, leaving me wide open for my attack.  
  
I hurl my knife at it as hard as I can!  
  
All right! I did it! A wave of adrenaline runs through my body as I watch the goblin scream in agony, with my knife sticking out of its right eye!  
  
"Wow, mate... Did you do that!?"  
  
Kid's praise rings through me, filling me with a rush of power.  
  
"Now quit standin' around! We're fightin' here!!"  
  
Dammit, I was just...  
  
"Get over here and fight, mate!"  
  
She's right. I leap back into the frenzy, just as the goblin painfully pulls the knife out of its eye and tosses it aside.  
  
In a desperate attempt to get my weapon back I make a dive for the knife over in the far corner. But now, the goblin's all but cornered me off!  
  
Picking the ball anc chain up off the floor, the ferocious goblin starts to charge me, screaming at the top of its lungs!  
  
I chuck my knife at the goblin, sending it spinning through the air, aimed directly for its face.  
  
Oh, gross... The knife's been planted deep into the goblin's left eye. It growls in pain, desperately trying to remove the thing from its skull.  
  
Seeing an opportunity, I quickly bolt towards the towering beast, slipping by its side and snatching its mace!  
  
the goblin turns its bloody head towards me as it pulls the dagger out of its eye, tossing the puny weapon aside. Aiming for its face again, I swing the heavy weapon outward!  
  
A horrible sound echos throughout the corridor as the goblin's face is turned into a putrid mess. With its skull utterly shattered the hulking beast falls to the floor,  
dead.  
  
That seems to be the last of them. Looking around, I straighten my shirt, and let out a deep breath.  
  
"Phew... you okay, mate?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm not bad. I've got some bruises her and there,  
but nothing too serious. You?"  
  
"Aw, are you kidding;? I kicked that thing's arse so bad,  
it didn't even have time to say its prayers!"  
  
Yeah, we did pretty good back there, didn't we...  
  
"You got a thing or two to learn, but yer gettin' there,  
mate."  
  
Kid's mischievous eyes soarkle as I glance at her for a moment in the dim moonlight.  
  
I set off down the corridor with her, ready for what's next.  
  
"Wait a sec, what's that?"  
  
I bend down and pick up a a small leather sack. Looking inside, I find a small bottle filled with a clear liquid.  
  
"Well, go on, mate! You found it, you drink it!"  
  
I hesitantly gulp the potion...  
  
Oh, wow! I feel great! It's making my wounds heal as fast as lightning!  
  
"Want some, Kid? Oh, sorry, it's all gone..."  
  
Back to the catacombs...  
  
No matter how many times I return here, I don't think I'll ever get any more used to this place...  
  
We return to the old man. Magil walks up to the cell and grasps the iron bars. He positions his feet, and starts to pull away at the bars with an incredible intensity.  
  
Afer a moment, the bars start to bend like taffy!  
  
Magil enter first through the newly-created opening.  
  
Kid follows, kneeling down before the mumbling old man.  
Putting her hands on the old man's shoulders, Kid tries to looks into his eyes, but he continues to stare at the floor. Frustrated, she starts to shout at hin, shaking him vigorously. "C'mon, old fella! Get up!!"  
  
The old man's head shakes back and forth lke a ragdoll's, but his eyes remain averted,  
  
I come between Kid and the old man. Kid looks at me with straightforward eyes. "Don't get in the way, Serge."  
  
"Kid... look at him, Isay. "Being agitated is the last thing he needs right now."  
  
"Hrmph! After I'm done with 'im, this old geezer's gonna be brimmin' with old stories!"  
  
As Kid shifts her weight onto her other knee, suddenly the Acacian ring falls out og her pocket. It falls down to the ground, bouncing once, twice, three times...  
  
...And comes to a stop right before the old man's eyes.  
  
Trying to get Kid to calm down, I signal for her to look over to the man, who's now smiling faintly...  
  
"The ring..." he says in a voice so quiet it's barely audible.  
  
However, his eyes quickly return to their murky state.  
"Finally, my allies... you have returned. Because of me, the Frozen Flame was seized, and I have desecrated the name of the Acacia Dragoons. I am the only one left... but, you have returned..."  
  
Ah, Merkid, Zorander... now that we are once again reunited, let us all head back to Staik lake..."  
  
"Jeez! Listen, Mister! The Frozen Flame, where is it!? Any small hint will help! Come on!!"  
  
"Frozen... Flame...?" the old man asks. A warm smile streask across his face.  
  
"Ah... my dear Miss Riddel... I have not seen you in quite some time. Surely you have not forgotten the secret entranceway?"  
  
"Uhh, yeah... ya think you could tell me about that again, gramps?" Kid asks, trying to sound as ladylike as possible.  
  
"In the ballroom... third candlestick on the left..."  
  
Kid hugs the old man, ecstatic. And so, he resumes his mumbling, in that distant, shuddering voice...  
  
"Please forgive me, for your father... I beg you, Riddel.  
The Dragoons..."  
  
"It's high time for you to bust on outta here, old man,"  
Kid says, pointing to the bent iron bars. However, he once again refuses to look up.  
  
"Come on... we've done all we can do here. He's got to walk through these bars himself."  
  
"Thanks, old timer..."  
  
After a while, the dark passageway ends at a polished, robust set of doors.  
  
Lynx's quarters... Oh man, I can feel Kid's blood boiling from here.  
  
"Lynx!!"  
  
What? Lynx is here!? I rush into the room behind Kid,  
unsheathing my knife in a flash of adrenaline.  
  
"Where is he!?"  
  
Beside me, Kid says, "Gotcha."  
  
"Tee hee... were ya scared?" she asks, giggling.  
  
"Oh sheesh... don't do that to me, heh..."  
  
"Has Lord Lynx returned to the room?" A high alto voice asks.  
  
Kid and I glance at each other, giggling. "No, he isn't here right now."  
  
"Ah, Master Serge. Is there something I can answer for you?" the statue asks in a pleasant voice. "Or, perhaps,  
you'd be interested in this lovely gift I have for you?"  
  
"Huh? A gift?"  
  
"Only a modest token of my appreciation for you and your comrades. I present you with a personal invitation into the Realm of the Looking Glass, if you are interested."  
  
"Wow, really?"  
  
"Yes, but we must hurry. Time is of the essence."  
  
I look towards the dark, rippling surface of the mirror.  
Slowly, I reach my hand out towards it.  
  
It feels lke my hand is being submerged in water, passing straight into the mirror...  
  
Suddenly, there's a a slight pull. I try to retract my arm,  
but the harder I pull, the further I seem to be getting drawn in...  
  
"Master Serge! Take your hand out, quickly!!"  
  
Just then, a crack streaks across the mirror!  
  
"What's... going on!?"  
  
Amidst my struggling, I see a crack start to streak down the mirror's glass...  
  
"Save yourself Master Serge... Please, before I am forced to consume you..."  
  
"What!?"  
  
Kid starts pulling with me, despite the increasing force drawing me in! I'm now up to my shoulder in this thing!  
  
"On the count of three," I yell!  
  
"One, two, three!!"  
  
We tumble backwards, falling onto the couch. I look at my arm in a daze. It's fine.  
  
Shaking myself off, I return to the mirror, now even more cracked since I last saw it.  
  
"Lynx planned to seal you all in the mirror," the statue says, sobbing.  
  
Each time it speaks, another crack seems to be running into it!  
  
"This isn't all... I had alerted Lord Lynx of your presence,  
long before you had known of me..."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Lynx has already taken away everything I have..."  
  
"He refused to allow me to leave Viper Manor, coercing me to be the mansion's eyes and ears, promising he would someday set me free..."  
  
Hanging her head low, the venus statue speaks in a quiet, solemn voice.  
  
"However, it was simply another one of Lord Lynx's schemes. No freedom is worth stealing another's for. I would rather destroy myself than become another murderer..."  
  
As yet another another crack appears, a large piece of the mirror breaks off, falling to the ground.  
  
"No.... don't...!" I yell, grasping the mirror!  
  
A huge crack streaks across the entire mirror,  
preventing me from seeing almost any of the statue...  
  
The statue's lips can be seen moving faintly from beyond the now heavily cracked mirror, but no words can be heard...  
  
CRASH  
  
I silently bend down and gather up all the shards.  
Putting them on the desk, I look into the kaleidoscope of reflections...  
  
"Serge...?" from behind me, I hear Kid's voice.  
  
"Let's go, mate..."  
  
As I leave the room, I quietly look over my shoulder,  
looking at the smashed mirror. I stop for a second,  
hoping to hear a voice, but...  
  
All I hear is silence.  
  
We continue through the passageway, up the stairs before the atrium, and to the left. After a while we arrive at a beautifully decorated set of double doors.  
  
A countless number of candles spectacularly illuminate this huge room.  
  
An old-fashioned grandfather clock stands on the right,  
ticking away with a morbid stillness.  
  
I step into the center of the hall, looking upwards at the oil canvases shimmering in the low light.  
  
"Okay, third one the left," Kid says quietly.  
  
"One... two... three. Here we go..."  
  
As Kid slowly pushes against the candlestick, it starts to move slowly.  
  
"Wh, what's going on...!?" I stammer, trying to brace myself.  
  
"This entire room is slowly sinking into the ground,"  
Magil says.  
  
The ballroom is sinking? All of it...!?  
  
Suddenly, the room starts to fall much faster! Chills run down my spine as I look around, seeing the paintings smacking against the walls and the candles dropping to the floor!  
  
As I start to get used to the sinking sensations, my heart fills with a violent mixture of anxiety, expectation, and hope. What awaits us at the bottom?  
  
The Frozen Flame...  
  
Could it really be down here? Is this our adventure's end? What if we actually take it into our hands...?  
  
Kid... Magil... I wonder what they're feeling right now...  
  
As the room continues to sink underground like an elevator to Hell, I start to hear Kid speak in a soft, meek voice...  
  
"...Sometimes... ...sometimes, I do struggle to win, even when I know I've already lost, just like that lady said.  
Why do I do that?"  
  
Looking over at her, I realize this isn't the Kid I usuallyy see. There, a faint, shy smile can be seen across her face.  
  
Suddenly, I feel something so powerful go through me, it feels like a wave of fire, surging through my heart.  
  
"Don't worry, we can't lose, there's no doubt!"  
  
"Whatever," Kid says beneath her breath, smiling faintly.  
"Sayings like those never made much sense to me. There's never a case where there ain't a doubt. Not a single one.  
But... thanks, mate."  
  
She looks towards me with a meek smile. Looking at her, I realize there could never be another girl like her in the entire world, ever...  
  
The shy laugh she sported a moment ago has reverted into a sort of mysterious gaze. As I stare at her, she asks me, "Hey, what's up with you all of a sudden?"  
  
"Nothing... you just looked like a different person there for a second."  
  
"Really...?" she says in astonishment, tilting her head.  
  
"It's probably because of the Frozen Flame. We're getting close." Magil says. His low, rumbling voice causes the shadows of the room to tremble.  
  
"What do ya mean?" Kid asks with a wrinkled brow.  
  
"Look inside of yourself and you will find the answer,  
Kid. The struggle for your catharsis is upon you..."  
  
"What in the world are ya talkin' about...?"  
  
Suddenly, a metallic grinding sound can be heard from all around us!  
  
The room comes to a stop, swaying a bit.  
  
"Guess this's our stop," Kid says with a hollow laugh.  
  
I stand motionles, staring at Kid and Magil in the dim,  
flikering luminescence.  
  
Suddenly, the organ comes to life!  
  
Lokking back towards the monstrous thing, no one is even near it! Nevertheless, it continues to play its strange, twisted tune, the keys and pedals moving wildly on their own!  
  
"Sounds like a funeral march. Heh, Just kiddin'..."  
  
Bad joke, Kid.  
  
"All right! Let's do this!" Kid says, taking a deep breath as she heads for the door.  
  
I glance at Magil, nodding my head as we follow her out.  
  
"It's a funeral march, all right! Lynx's, that is!"  
  
We start down the long, dark path in front of us.  
  
The air down here carries a thick stench of death.  
Somewhere, further down this passageway, Lynx's subterranean hideout swaits.  
  
Kid's got a strange look on her face. I can't imagine what must be going through her head right now. Magil,  
on the other hand... I can never read him. But still, we usually talk a little, lightening things up... but right now,  
nobody's making a sound.  
  
I try to offer some conversation, hoping to avoid the increasing tension.  
  
"So, what really is this Frozen Flame thing?"  
  
...No response.  
  
Just as I start to think no one is going to answer, Magil starts to speak, his low voice echoing throughout the stone corridor.  
  
"It was said to be a gem which soothes all scars,  
granting eternal life to its owner...  
  
...Or so people believed.  
  
The Frozen Flame is more than just an object. It's not of this world.  
  
It descended from the heavens long ago, part of a huge meteorite.  
  
Once, there lived a people who sought to harness its power, hoping to tap into their yet unknown potential.  
And so, it became a treasure of great importance and dreams.  
  
However, whether a gift which bestows power is actually a blessing or a curse, is another question altogether,  
  
Since the birth of humanity, at least one entire race has fallen because of it. These people once built a great thriving metropolis with its power, but now, all knowledge of this era has been completely lost within the ssands of time."  
  
A faint feeling of distress comes across Magil's voice,  
throughout his speech.  
  
"But then, how do you know about all this?" I ask.  
  
Again, no answer.  
  
Kepping slient, I continues walking. Our footsteps once again become the only sound filling this dark path...  
  
"Well, whether any of that's true or not, it'll all lead us to the same place. Say yer prayers, Lynx! We're comin for ya! That's all I know, and that's plenty!"  
  
The Frozen Flame... what in the world could Lynx see in that mysterious rock...?  
  
Flooded with thoughts, I pause for a moment to take a deep breath and calm myself.  
  
Continuing on a moment later, I feel as though I'm a bit more at peace...  
  
Suddenly, Magil comes to a stop. "Do not move."  
  
"Huh...?"  
  
Kid and I look around suspiciously. Around us, bones are scattered in all directions. Many of them have been cut cleanly in half.  
  
Looking around more, amidst the dim light I start to see that that the walls have been splattered with blood.  
  
Then suddenly, a trace of light catches my eye from behind.  
  
There's a bolt of electricity approaching us, sparkling like a lit fuse on the ground.  
  
Coming within a few feet of us, the spark splits off into two, forming a circle around us. Once the circle is complete, an odd glow starts to shine at our feet! Then,  
from where the sparks had traced, light shoots upwards,  
forming a wall of light all around us!  
  
"It's a Devil Circle!"  
  
We try to move, but we find ourselves caught within the rays of light!  
  
With the scalding, noise winds whirling all around us, all I see are rays of shimmering light in every direction I look!  
  
"Wh, what do I do? I can't see anything in all this light!"  
  
Magil grabs me by the shoulder and returns me to the center of the circle. Thankfully, he seems to be able to see just fine; his mask is probably shielding his eyes from the radiance.  
  
"There is always a way out of a Devil Circle -- we must find the gaps to walk through!"  
  
"If you say so...!"  
  
Suddenly, Kid's elbow grazes one of the walls!  
  
Sparks scatter in all directions! She instantly snaps her arm back, wincing in pain!  
  
Unable to see any gaps whatsoever, I hesitantly start to make my way towards the blinding wall of light...  
  
"Come on, to the right a little...!"  
  
"There! Come on, now!"  
  
From where we stand, a small gap in the wall can be seen all of a sudden. Holding my breath, I leap into it with my arms shielding my face!  
  
All right! We made it through!!  
  
However, I open my eyes only to see even more of these glimmering wall swirling before us!  
  
"We've got to go to the left a little..!"  
  
"There! Come on, now!"  
  
Same story...  
  
"To the right, slowly...!"  
  
We made it!  
  
I scurry away from the bloodcurdling thing as fast as I can. Looking back, I see it vanish instantly dies down as well, and all the dust and grime that was blowing around falls back to the floor in a flash. Everything has returned to a quiet stillness. Too quiet.  
  
And so, heading down the hallway further and further,  
eventually...  
  
"At last..."  
  
Kid steps toward the mighty set of doors, letting out a sigh of relief.  
  
"Beyond this door... the Frozen Flame..."  
  
From behind his mask, Magil's eyes let loose a cool radiance.  
  
"Okay... let's go!" Kid says eagerly, grasping the handle.  
  
"Whoa..."  
  
This cavern sprawls out to great lengths before our eyes. A forgotton world, hidden deep below ground...  
  
And, with a scarlet radiance, a single small gem shimmers in the darkness.  
  
The Frozen Flame!  
  
"Finally, we're here!"  
  
The jewel shimmers warmly, almost as if it's responding to Kid's voice...  
  
Taking a few steps into the moist cavern, Magil whispers,  
"Remarkable... intact ruins of the lost Magical Kingdom."  
  
Just as I start to ask Magil what he means, a taunting laugh can be heard from high above us.  
  
"Lynx!!"  
  
Kid immediately pulls out her knife and hurls it through the air with all her might!  
  
As it approcahes Lynx, he easily swats it out of the way,  
almost too quickly for me to see!  
  
"Always the same... such a savage little girl. Can't you give a gentleman an honest greeting?"  
  
"You bastard!!" Kid interrupts.  
  
"And what have we here... the notorious shadow walker. I wouldn't be trying anything like last time, if I were you."  
  
Beside me, I see Magil come to a stop.  
  
Lord Lynx...  
  
Viper Manor's deadly owner...  
  
The very same man who murdered Kid's sister, deceived Riddel's father, and eradicated the Acacia Dragoons...  
  
"Welcome back, Kdi. I see you have successfully taken the bait, gluttonous as ever."  
  
"What...!?" Kid says hesitantly, taking a step back.  
  
Lynx stares down at her with those frighteningly piercing eye of his.  
  
"You see, Kid, I brought you here because of the rock you carry."  
  
"Which rock?"  
  
"Surely you remember, the one you received from your sister, all those years ago... the priceless keepsake you carry with you dearly, even now...  
  
The Chrono Trigger!!"  
  
"How'd ya know about that...?"  
  
Kid's gaze returns to a scowl.  
  
"No matter... we're here for the Frozen Flame! Yer finsihers, ya bastard!"  
  
"Ah yes, toss your little threats around. But remember,  
no matter how many times you think you have won, I have generously demonstrated how gravely you are mistaken."  
  
And with that, Lynx unsheathes a beautiful golden sabre.  
  
"Previously I've overlooked doing away with you, letting you scurry on with your pathetic little life. However, this time, I may not be so generous..."  
  
Kid takes another step back, glaring at Lynx as he approaches.  
  
"Lynx!! Ya murderer, I'll never forgive you for Lucca... This ends here and now!!"  
  
And so, Kid leaps into the air in a fit of rage, aiming a kick between Lynx's eyes!  
  
However, just as she reaches him, he swiftly dodges!  
  
Kid stands there, wondering how she could have missed.  
Beside her, Lynx laughs, taunting her!  
  
Jumping up once again, Kid lets loose a fierce kick!  
  
Skimming the tip of his nose, her kick cuts through nothing but air!  
  
In a parry attack, Lynx sends his razor-sharp golden sabre through the air!  
  
But Kid's already leapt back. The two face each other,  
only a few feet apart.  
  
"If only you had been a bit faster, Kid," Lynx says,  
smiling.  
  
All of a sudden, a line of red streaks across Kid's face!  
  
"Kid...!?"  
  
Wiping off the blood, Kid angrily rushes Lynx in a flash through the air!  
  
Effortlessly dodging, Lynx drives the sword into her back as soon as she lands!  
  
Kid bends back in alarming pain!  
  
Somehow staying on her feet, she stumbles back and readies herself to charge again!  
  
"Stupid little brat...!!"  
  
Lynx lands an elbow onto Kid's shoulder, knocking her clear down to the ground!  
  
I feel her pain from the pit of my stomach, as I start to see blood trickling from her lips...  
  
"What's wrong, little girl!?"  
  
Once again, Kid tries to lash out at Lynx, but he easily kicks her, sending her back onto a pile of rubble!  
  
Lynx then looks upward, focusing his concentration on the ceiling. As I look up, I see a number of rocks have come dislodged from the cavern, tumbling down onto her!  
  
"Kid...!!"  
  
I call out as I start to rush over to her! However, just as soon as I start to, I see Magil's already there. He's streaked across the shadows, putting himself between Lynx and Kid!  
  
Saying nothing, Lynx shoots a thread of white light out of his fingertips!  
  
The threadlike substance entangles Magil, binding his feet totgether. He hits the ground with a thud!  
  
In a dazzling radiance, a countless number of threads fly out from Lynx's fingertips! They immobilize Magil completely, leaving only his head visible!  
  
"How does that feel, shadow walker? Have you felt my web start to drain your life energy yet?" Lynx says,  
smiling ominously.  
  
"Grrrrr...!!"  
  
Kid... Magil... What am I going to do!?  
  
"Kid...!!"  
  
She looks over towards me. With blood trickling from her mouth, she only moves a little.  
  
"Kid... are you all right?"  
  
She lies there motionless, wincing painfully.  
  
"...Serge..."  
  
"It's okay, Kid! I'm here for you!"  
  
"How kind... however, I think you should be more concerned with you own well being, young man!"  
  
An icy chill runs down my spine as I hear the evil voice behind me. I stand up and turn around...  
  
"So you, whoever you are. Opposing me is quite useless,  
as you obviously have seen."  
  
And in a flash, Lynx grabs me by the neck!  
  
He strangles me with his long, disgusting fingers!  
  
"Urrghh...!!"  
  
Then, he starts to lift me up by my neck! Struggling for air, I painfully hang there, unable to tear myself free of his powerful grip!  
  
"Look, Kid. Look at your pathetic little companion suffering. You can make this all stop, if you want."  
  
With blood dripping from her lips, Kid opens one of her eyes. Painfully gasping and coughing, she lifts here head up to us.  
  
She still wants to get up, but she's hurt far too badly.  
  
"Serge...!!"  
  
"Hand over the Chrono Trigger, Kid. Little do you know,  
but that rock is actually a tiny, condensed universe.  
When combined with the Frozen Flame, it gains the power to bend space-time, allowing its owner to reshape history. This all could have never happened, if you merely wish it..."  
  
Saying this, Lynx looks toward me, expressionless.  
  
"And what about you, young man? Perhaps you know where the Chrono Trigger is?" he asks, tightening his grip!  
  
"...Serge...!!"  
  
"What are you going to do, Kid? Can you afford to let this little boy die without helping? How will if feel to have his blood on your hands?"  
  
As Lynx grasps tighter and tighter, I find myself starting to lose it...  
  
Lynx's face becomes a blur...  
  
Suddenly, Kid's voice snaps me back to attention!  
  
"I'm sorry Serge...!! Wh, what should I do?"  
  
"Don't... don't do it...!"  
  
Consciousness... fading...  
  
"Stop!! The stone... here!"  
  
Lynx looks over to Kid. His eyes light up as his hands loosen around my neck.  
  
Abandoning me, Lynx rushes over to her side.  
  
"Here it is, Lynx..."  
  
Kid reaches into her pcoket. Lynx draws closer.  
  
Despite being drained of nearly all strength, Kid manages to whip her knife out, fiercely slashing at Lynx!  
  
Screaming viciously, Lynx falls back, cradling his mangled face! Blood starts to trickle down from between his fingers!  
  
"You...!!"  
  
Lynx staggers to his feet, keeping his right hand on the wound.  
  
"I will have such fun killing you all...!!"  
  
With as much power as she can muster, Kid kicks at Lynx, sweeping him off his feet!  
  
"Hah!"  
  
Spitting blood, Kid coughs a little, but still, a smile manages to come through her agony.  
  
"K... Kid..."  
  
I run over towards her, still feeling the burning grip on my neck.  
  
Lynx turns to Kid, staring at her with his cold, evil gaze.  
  
"Child, you shall beg for death soon enough. Every flavor of pain shall be yours. Prepare to join Lucca!!"  
  
Hearing this, Kid's eyes slowly open, and catch sight od Lynx. A red-hot gaze burns in her eyes. Slowly, she rises to her feet!  
  
A shimmering light suddenly spurts out of the Frozen Flame!  
  
At the same time, a golden light bursts out of Kid's chest!!  
  
Swirling around her, the light rises up, spreading outward in a glistening spiral!  
  
"Wh, what is this...!?" Lynx gasps.  
  
Kid's voice calls out from deep withing the shower of light... "You will not win, Lynx!!"  
  
She trembles, her eyes flowing with red tears.  
  
And then, a single voice can be heard. It's a deep,  
profound voice... the voice of undeniable honesty and truth.  
  
Long ago, in a far off kingdom, lived a girl. Because of her power, the kingdom had come to and end, crumbling under its own weight. Many became engulfed in the temporal vortex that was created, never to be heard from again...  
  
...But not the girl. She lived on, enduring a much sadder fate... Running from her past and fearing her future, she wanted nothing more than to be swallowed up in the surging waves of the vortex of time...  
  
Hating what she'd done,  
refusing what she'd said or heard,  
to simply continue living was her curse.  
  
But the stone,  
It had other plans for her...  
  
Turning back the hands of her clock,  
scattering her memories,  
she was granted another chance.  
  
Since the precious stone was in her posession,  
she carried with her all its will and power.  
  
And so, she was born into this era,  
returning to reality as a mere infant...  
  
And with that, the fragments of the shattered Chrono Trigger fall to the ground softly.  
  
The cavern before us slowly starts to come apart,  
bending inward and outwards like a tear in reality, until we are completely removed from its existence...  
  
A single girl's voice resounds in the darkness...  
  
"Please...  
  
This dark energy...  
  
Make it stop!"  
  
Losing all sense of reality and presence, I become engulfed in this realm, drifting aimlessly through the ages...  
  
The world flows, time dissolves, and people live and die... I can see it all within this mysterious ocean...  
  
The origin of time... Every one of life's tranquillities is here...  
  
I can see myself as a babay, crying at my mother's side,  
where she gives a warm, proud grin...  
  
I can see myself as an old man, softly smiling, knowing that death will come soon.  
  
Infinite version of myself extend like ghosts throughout this endless corridor of time...  
  
Everywhere I look, I see another life, another era... In this unfolded existence, I see countless lives, and countless dreams.  
  
Resting in eternity,  
  
A kind voice calls out to me...  
  
A single song...  
  
...Kid!  
  
..Kid!!  
  
Can you hear my voice?  
...Kid...!?  
  
Answer me, Kid.  
Please...  
  
Who?  
Who's calling my name...  
  
"......Serge...? Wh, where is this...?"  
  
"Kid!? You're here!!"  
  
"That song... that beautiful song... it was Lucca's favorite..."  
  
Kid softly smiles, closing her eyes. I can see she can't help but shed a few tears for this long lost reminiscence.  
  
This song is actually something I composed in my earlier years, back when I was still a musician. Kid seems to be very fond of it...  
  
"You called out to m, Serge. You called my name. Thank you. You won't leave me, will you?"  
  
"I'm here for you, Kid."  
  
"It all makes so much sense now... I know who I am,  
Serge... I know what I'm here for."  
  
"Let's go back now, okay? I'm ready."  
  
"Urrrgh...!"  
  
Lynx has pinned Kid to the ground!  
  
"And now, you see your death!"  
  
What do I do?  
  
Lynx will have to get through me if he wants to get to Kid!  
  
"Oh, will get to put you both out of your misery at once?"  
  
Lynx raises his sabre overhead, ready to plunge it into us!  
  
"I wouldn't do that if I was you."  
  
Quickly turning my head, I look in the direction of the voice.  
  
"You...!?"  
  
There, under a large hood, stands the old woman from before!  
  
"So, Vera. Looks like Porre coudn't keep their hands out of this after all," says Lynx, flatly.  
  
"Good to see you again, Master Lynx. Seems you've seen better days..."  
  
The old lady... she's from Porre?  
  
"The Frozen Flame, we will take custody of it now. It seems none of you can decide on who the rightful owner should be."  
  
The old lady gives a small signal, and dozens of armed troops rush out from behind her, securing the cavern.  
  
"I will not forget this, Vera!" Lynx shouts, floating up into the air.  
  
Brimming with hatred, Lynx's glance turns to us. "And you! You will see death by my hand!"  
  
Saying this, Lynx vanishes into this air!  
  
The soldiers untie Magil, and start heading towards us.  
  
The old woman gazes down on us from under her hood.  
"I believe you all ought to come with us."  
  
Looking up, I notice the armed soldiers have swarmed around us, with their weapons ready!  
  
Seeing this, Magil instantly waves his hands in the air,  
calling out some sort of incantation! "Darkness, Envelop under my command!"  
  
Suddenly, all light in the cavern is put out! It's now or never!  
  
"Quickly, Serge!!"  
  
I grab on to Magil, who'se holding Kid. Together, we flee the cavern, vanishing into the darkness!  
  
Led by Magil, we make our way out of the mansion...  
  
Back in the forest, we see the search party's torches here and there, hunting for us. Their militant barking can be heard as they continue to get closer and closer to us.  
  
We stop behind a tree for a moment or two, catching our breath. I look down to Kid, who's taken quite a beating...  
  
"Are you okay?"  
  
"Yeah, mate... fine."  
  
"We're completely surrounded," Says Magil. "We must be on our way."  
  
Looking around, I suddenly see torches all around us,  
starting to close in.  
  
Kid suddenly lifts her head up. "Go, Serge... save yerself.  
The troupe is only after Magil and me. If they find you alone, they'll let ya go."  
  
"Wh, what are you talking about!? I can't leave you now!  
Not like this!"  
  
"I told ya I'll be fine, mate..."  
  
"But...!"  
  
"Don't worry. I remember now, Serge... who I used to be,  
long ago..." she says staring up into the night sky.  
  
Seeing the reflection of a hundred thousand stars in her eyes, I can't help but be taken in by that lonely, on in a million expression of hers...  
  
"Kid..."  
  
"Don't worry, I'm okay... I'll see ya again," she says with a smile. "Someday, I know I'll see ya again... without a doubt."  
  
She softly closes her eyes. "Lucca's Chrono Trigger was lost... we couldn't even get our hands on the Frozen Flame... but, it's okay... it's all okay, because tonight, in my heart, a shiny new treasure was born, Serge... the single most valuable unstealable treasure in the entire world."  
  
Saying this, Kid stares firmly at me with those eyes of hers... those bold, straight, honest eyes.  
  
"Knowing who I am... It's bigger than all this... bigger than Lynx, bigger than the Frozen Flame... and, nothing can take that away... not as long as I'm alive..."  
  
At this moment, listening to her under the starry night sky, I find myself wanting nothing more than to be here with her right now. Staring into her eyes, I only wish time could stop right at this instant...  
  
"Goodbue, Serge... thank you..."  
  
And with that, Kid turns her back to me and disappears into the darkness.  
  
"Kid...!"  
  
"Don't follow me! Please, don't follow me..."  
  
Unable to control my feelings, I start to rush after her however, a shadow abruptly blocks my path. It's Magil.  
  
He slowly shakes his head, a sorrowful look in his eyes...  
  
With that, his shadowy figure draws back, dissolving into the darkness.  
  
"Magil!?"  
  
"Kid!!"  
  
Kid!  
Kid...  
  
And so, the curtain closes on another tale. However,  
another time, after the spotlight had faded from Kid,  
Magil, and Riddel...  
  
...In another place and another time... a similar band of adventurers had come forth, equally unsuspecting of their other selves, and life went on as they strode out into the great unknown.  
  
But, that's a story for another day. For now, I shall put down my pen."  
  
As I softly close my grandfather's diary, I hear my mother's voice call to me from downstairs.  
  
"Didn't you hear me? Your friend is here!"  
  
I turn around, already knowing who it is. My door opens quite energetically, where I see a strangely nostalgic girl barge in.  
  
"Serge! We found some ruins of an old mansion up in northern Kitsune Forest today! Come on, let's go exploring!"  
  
The End  
  
For you CT fans, you should already know this but... Kid is Schala reincarnated, Magil is Magus having located Schala while time traveling, and Serge is just Serge. What's in the next chapters? No, not part of the main storyline, alternate ones. See where it all could have gone. 


	3. Magil: Caught Between Love and Adventure

I wish I owned this, I don't. Alternate story blah blah blah ...  
  
Seraphim Ephyon, I'm gonna have to do the Mick Bon Jovi one,  
sorry ;;. The one I'm worried about, is Engimatic Paradise Giga Weapon X, or whatever the hell that scenario is called.  
  
I don't want to repeat Le Tresor Interdit.  
  
Magil: Caught Between Love and Adventure  
  
"Boy, did her information help. I though the perimeter's counterspell would be quite a problem."  
  
Kid's braid sways gently from side to side in the cool nighttime breeze.  
  
So far, we've managed to slip through the magical shield network undetected and sneak into Lynx's domain. Still,  
this inner region can make from some pretty tough travel.  
  
Kid, Magil and I compose this party of three...  
  
However, while walking behind Kid, I can't help but notice her ponytail endlessly swishing back, and forth... back,  
and forth... back and, forth...  
  
I'm starting to get sleepy... so, so sleepy...  
  
Mmm, sleep...  
  
"...Serge..."  
  
"Serge!!"  
  
"Huh!?"  
  
"Snap out of it, lazy bones!"  
  
Looking up, the tall, shadowy mansion of Lord Lynx looms before me. I can't believe we're there already... I must have really been out of it.  
  
"The hell were you daydreamin' about, mate? Let's go!"  
Kid says, disappearing into the mansion.  
  
"Hey, wait up, Kid!" I shout, frantically chasing after her. However, she's already deep inside.  
  
The darkness engulfs me...  
  
Passages extend to the left and right. Whereever we turn,  
darknes awaits...  
  
We head down the path. After a while, it ends at a stained wooden door.  
  
"Guess this's the study."  
  
This huge room is faintly lit by the moonlight, shining in through a tall window. In the back of the room stands a large, ornately decorated desk.  
  
Row after row of bookshelves house thousands of thick,  
dusty books. A painting is hung on the rear wall, sharing space with various exotic curios.  
  
I walk over and open a drawer in the mahogany desk.  
  
The drawers contain writing materials and documents,  
arranged in an orderly fashion. Unfortunately, they don't seem to contain anything worth mentioning.  
  
But then, a small picture in the drawer catches my eye.  
It's a portrait of a friendly-looking girl with a faint smile on her face.  
  
I hold it up, wondering who it could be...  
  
"It's prolly Lynx's adopted daughter," Kid says, looking over my shoulder with her nose crinkled. "...Pedophile."  
  
A faint gasp from behind me suddenly catches my attention. Turning around, I see Magil walking over to us with his eyes fixed firmly on the picture. I don't think I've ever seen him quite like this before...  
  
"What is it, Magil?"  
  
My question visibly startles Magil, but after a few moments, he returns to his usual wooden face.  
  
"...Nothing."  
  
His firm response doesn't leave much room for questioning.  
  
"We're wasting valuable time. We should look elsewhere,"  
Magil says abruptly, turning towards the door.  
  
Kid and I look at each other, perplexed.  
  
"What's his problem?"  
  
"Don't ask me..."  
  
"Hey Magil, wait up!"  
  
Suddenly, a bloodcurdling screech cuts through the darkness! Scared stiff at the deafening sound, I look up to see two gigantic, maddening red eyeballs staring straight at me!  
  
It's a gryphon!!  
  
Before I can unsheathe my knife, it starts to flap its wings viciously, conjuring a tremendous gust of wind!  
  
I'm knocked clear off my feet, banging my head up against a wall!  
  
"Serge! You okay?"  
  
My body aches from head to toe. I struggle to ignore the pain as I hastily get back up!  
  
I bend down to grab my knife. As I stand back up with it in my hand, I suddenly realize the gryphon has already cornered me off! It stands no less than a few feet in front of me, its enraged red eyes glowing like ember!  
  
The gryphon swoops down, aiming its razor-sharp talons directly for me!  
  
"Aaaahhh!"  
  
I tried to duck, but it only allowed the horrid claws to dig into my back!  
  
Rolling around on the floor, I shake myself free of its grip! Scampering away, I grit my teeth and try to ignore the blaring pain.  
  
I take a moment to duck out of the action and catch my breath.  
  
"Serge, get yer arse back here!"  
  
I look up to see Kid squaring off with the beast, landing an uppercut directly into the base of its right wing!  
  
Her blow was well placed, adding injury to an already open wound the gryphon had suffered. It reels backward,  
screeching in pain!  
  
It's now or never, I tell myself! I sneak up on the gryphon from behind, trying to stay within its blind spot.  
  
But then, all of a sudden, the gryphon snaps around,  
billowing its scalding breath down on me!  
  
The gryphon's wings flair up, coming at me for a swatting attack!  
  
The moment I go to duck down low, I see its wings graze the air just inches above my head!  
  
That was such a close call! I quickly get up and ready myself for what's next.  
  
Trying to break free of that ferocious, visceral gaze, I remember the knife I'm holding and grip it tight!  
  
Quickly switching my knife to a backhand grip, I swing at the gryphon's neck with all my rage!  
  
I send my knife arcing through the air, hoping to connect with raw flesh!  
  
It reels back in pain!  
  
The gryphon starts to slowly move in one me, one step at a time. Then, suddenly, it stops. With a blank look in its eyes, it stumbles a bit, and comes crashing to the ground with a huge thud!  
  
Before long, we're greeted with a beautifully ornate set of doors on the right! Strange... there's a distinct smell of flowers coming from here.  
  
Various trinkets have been scattered around this decorative room, adding a bit of charm to an otherwise dreary mansion.  
  
A luxurious desk and a light, fluffy bed add to the elegant nature.  
  
"Is someone there?" a woman's voice asks all of a sudden. Kid and I instantly hide behind a closet, ready for anything.  
  
A fair girl comes into view from out of a dark corner.  
  
"Hmmm... it must have been my imagination," she says,  
apparently not yet aware of us.  
  
I remain perfectly still while holding my breath,  
wondering what to do next.  
  
Then, all of a sudden, a shadow over by the desk begins to tremble!  
  
Magil...!  
  
He suddenly materializes, placing himself directly across from the girl!  
  
She' overcome with shock, seeing this. In desperation,  
all she can do is muster out the words "Who... what.  
what do you want...?"  
  
I hope this girl can recognize a good thief when she sees one...  
  
"We're thieves, but we mean you not harm," I say hesitantly, wondering if that came out right.  
  
Kid stares at me doubtfully, most likely confused by what I'm getting myself into.  
  
Seeing the situation unfold before her eyes, the girl stands there with a blank look on her face, pale as a ghost. "Who are you people...?" she asks, unable to mask her increasing fear.  
  
Magil steps in and speaks in a comforting tone. "I apologize on behalf of my party if we starttled you. We intend no harm, my lady."  
  
Despite his persuasiveness, the girl seems to remain unconvinced, and starts to panic. "Stop, thieves! Don't come any closer!"  
  
This is hopeless...  
  
I move over to the bed and start to pull off the sheets.  
Kid comes oevr and helps, saying, "Whaddaya say we toss her in the dresser."  
  
Magil approaches us and grabs the sheets out of our hands before we can make our move. With a look of pity in his eyes, he looks back towards the girl.  
  
She seems shocked at this turn of events to say the least, not knowing what to think.  
  
"Sorry Magil, I was only trying to do what's best," I say, ashamed.  
  
However, before Magil can respond, the girl takes a breath, and turns to us to speak.  
  
"Magil? You're Magil? ...Did you once go by the name.  
Gilbert?"  
  
Hearing that name, Magil takes on a look of shock.  
  
"Riddel? Is that you?" He says in a suprisingly vulnerable tone.  
  
"Gilbert! It's really you! My dear, dear Gilbert," she says,  
taking his hand.  
  
Gilbert? What the...?  
  
"I have worried about you ever so mych," he says in a deeply sentimental voice.  
  
Kid, suddenly tinged with anxiety, interrupts the two.  
  
"Hey, lovebird! We're here for the Frozen Flame, not damsels in distress, remember?"  
  
"The Frozen Flame?" asks Riddel, bewildered.  
  
"Ah yes... these are my companions," Magil says in his usual, dry tone a moment later.  
  
Kid and I glance at each other.  
  
"This evening is a blessing, bequeathed to us by that shimmering red jewel's fate," Magil says to Riddel.  
  
Oh, brother... All this girl stuff is starting to unravel him...  
  
Kid starting to get agitated, however. I've got a feeling there are few things that could keep her from getting the Frozen Flame tonight, and none of them wear high heels.  
  
Despite her increasing impatience with the situation,  
Magil goes on... and on... "...Ever since my childhood, I have thought of you... My heart has yearned ever so madly, only for you."  
  
"Oh, Gilbert..."  
  
"It is true, my dear Riddel. Therefore... about the promise..."  
  
Suddenly, Riddel turns away from Magil. "Promise?" she asks in a voice so quet it's almost inaudible.  
  
"Yes, my dear... surely you haven't forgotten our secret promise... the one we made to each other on that beautiful day in the garden. You have not forgotten the vows of marraige we bestowed on one another, have you?"  
  
Riddel continues to avert her eyes from Magil. "I will hear no more of this childish nonsense!" she shouts, burying her head in her hands once again.  
  
"...Is there someone else?" Magil asks after a moment or two, barely able to keep himself composed.  
  
"Gilbert, I..."  
  
She breaks off, unable to finish the sentence. Her shoulders sag as she starts to lament again.  
  
"Sheesh, Magil... talkin' to her like that ain't gonna help!  
Save yer issues for Lynx!" Kid interjects, bringing Magil back to reality.  
  
Riddel continues to sob, more and more bewildered by the moment.  
  
"This is hopeless, mate! We've wasted enough time here,  
we gotta get goin'!"  
  
"But as it is, leaving this lovely lady alone would be a mistake. She may tell someone about us, or perhaps she's in danger," Magil says to Kid, staring at Riddel.  
  
"Sheesh, I know why you wanna stay here, and it ain't that," Kid says, rolling her eyes.  
  
"Kid, please, leave this to me!" Magil shouts.  
  
Riddel, watching all this, stares at Magil intensely,  
probably now wondering if he's the one with something to hide.  
  
Magil feverishly explains. "Please allow me to introduce Kid, a business associate of mine."  
  
Kid, bored to tears, does her best to get us out of this situation. "Business associate? Is that what yer callin' me now? Aw c'mon, mate... just last night you were..."  
  
Dammit! I can't believe she's saying this!  
  
I rush to cover her mouth up with my hands, saying,  
"Er... she's a little confused right now, don't mind her.  
heh..."  
  
After a moment Kid stops wrestling me and I let go of her. Teeth marks as red as blood stand out on my fingers...  
  
"Gilbert... you really think I'm a lovely lady?"  
  
Seeing a new ray of hope before his eyes, Magil picks up where he left off. "Only of the loveliest kind, my lady.  
Indeed, it's true, you have blossomed into fair and delicate young woman."  
  
I'm staying out of this, I say to myself. I've got enough problems with my own love life...  
  
But then, suddenly, another voice echosed out, enetering in through the doorway! "Mistress Riddel, you will remember to mind your manners around our guests,  
won't you?"  
  
Who's this?  
  
"Oh Noelle, you know how I dislike it when you call me Mistress!" Riddel exclaims.  
  
She continues, slightly embarrassed. "This is Gilbert,  
Noelle. Surely you remember him from long ago, when I was but a child."  
  
After a while, it dawms on the elderly woman that she once knew this man, and an expression of recognition comes over her face. "Ah, yes... Master Gilbert. All grown up, I see. And what a fine gentleman you turned out to be!"  
  
"Aw, now we're never gettin' outta this," Kid says,  
sitting down on a couch with her hed in her hands.  
  
Could this still be a trap I wonder...  
  
I stoop down to where Kid's sitting and whisper,  
"Magil's got more experience than us... I think we should let him handle this."  
  
Kid goes utterly numb.  
  
The maid notices us whispering to each other and takes a step backwards.  
  
"Well... who is this young lady?"  
  
"Ah, these two are my business associates," Magil says,  
offering a simple introduction.  
  
"...I... I see. Since Master Gilbert says so, I will extend my welcome to you. I am Lady Riddel's personal servant. My name is Noelle."  
  
"Nice to meet you."  
  
"I have known Master Gilbert ever since he was a wee lad..."  
  
She goes on, telling us about various things from their past. It seems like they've had quite an illustrious upbringing.  
  
"...And so, Master Gilbert and Lady Riddel often shared one another's company, stealing each other's eyes.  
However, one day, he was whisked far away..."  
  
"Could this get any more exciting?" Kid asks.  
  
Noelle and Kid exchange looks, but continues momentarily after recomposing herself.  
  
"...Once, in a secret meeting at their favorite flower garden, an oath was made between the two. In that beaautiful courtyard, future prospects were indeed planned upon..."  
  
However, the maid's eyes darken as she continues.  
  
"But, as everyone knew, Lady Riddel had already been assigned a suitor!"  
  
Riddel's shoulders sink upon hearing this. "Noelle! Why did you have to mention that! Now our oath is void!"  
  
Magil's eyes shimmer in the dim light.  
  
Through all this, Kid has been just about pushed to her limit. Unable to be obedient any longer, she stands up,  
eyes flaring.  
  
Kid leaps out ahead of Magil, confronting the two/  
"Listen up! I'm the great thief, Kid! And we're here tonight in this mansion to..."  
  
But she's broken off by the maid! "How dare you, you rude young lady! Surely you know better than to act in such a way before the Lady of the House!"  
  
"Hah! You got somthin' comin' to ya, you old wench!"  
Kid snarls, now eye to eye with Noelle.  
  
Magil quickly comes between the two, first addressing the maid. "Please, do not worry. I have never shown any malice towards you or Riddel, nor have I ever meant any harm and I will not allow any to happen in the future.  
Please accept my apologies on my accomplice's behalf."  
  
"Master Gilbert..."  
  
Continuing on, he turns toward Kid. "Perhaps is would be best if we left."  
  
"Huh!?"  
  
Kid and Noelle exchange glances.  
  
Then, at the same time, one single idea seems to pop into both Noelle's and Kid's minds.  
  
"What in blazes are ya thinkin'? Runnin' off with Riddel!?" Kid yells, at the very same moment Noelle shouts "What in the world, m'lady! How could you think of elopement at a time like this!?"  
  
Magil's mouth drops wide open. "No, that is not what I meant..."  
  
But it's useless. The yelling resumes, louder than ever,  
hopelessly drowning out Magil's reasoning.  
  
"What kind of a gentleman do you think you are?  
Honestly, thinking of eloping without telling a single soul!" Noelle ensues, before stomping out of the room in a rage.  
  
"Dammit, we gotta think about the Frozen Flame here!"  
Kid shouts, tugging on Magil's shirt.  
  
Riddel doesn't seem to be very happy either, having once again regressed into tears.  
  
Magils' voiw of love seems to be on its last leg. I'm starting to wonder if there's any hope for this situation at all anymore...  
  
In any case, Riddel can't possibly want to be burdened with all this torment. If I could just talk her down out of all ot this commotion, it might be all right. If only I had more options...  
  
"It won't be a bad life, living with him. He's a good guy."  
  
"A good thief, perhaps! Everone I know would be ashamed to talk to us!" Riddel whimpers.  
  
"Whaddaya got against theives now!? Ain't nothin'  
wrong with bein' a theif. It's an honorable job, ain' it,  
Magil?"  
  
"...If Riddel wishes it, I will hearby end my career as a pilferer. Therefore, we..."  
  
"M... Magil??"  
  
Kid and I are floored. This girl must really, really be something...  
  
Magil's presented a good case, but I just don't know if Riddel's swallowing it all.  
  
Suddenly, alarms blare out all around us!  
  
"Damn that bloody maid!"  
  
What do we do now!? Flustered, I look to Magil.  
  
"We must be on our way," he says.  
  
Riddel nods after a moment. "Indeed, it's best for you to leave tonight," she says. "In time, perhaps you may return. Then, I might be able to look upon you as a friend."  
  
A friend... a friend...  
  
Hearing that word in terms of their relationship seems to strike through Magil's heart like a searing hot knife.  
  
"No! I will not leave without you," he yells suddenly!  
"Riddel, please, I beg you! Come with me, now!"  
  
Footsteps can be heard from down the hallway.  
  
"The guards are coming for us! Quickly!"  
  
Magil lightly picks Riddel up, putting her over his shoulder as he makes for the door!  
  
"They're getting closer!" Kid says, peeking around the corner.  
  
With his cape gallantly fluttering behind him, Magil bolts down the hallway!  
  
Come on, they're right behind us!  
  
Oh no, there they are, right there!  
  
Hah! Like a hurricane, Magil effortlessly rams one of the guards into the wall while I knock the other senseless without even stopping!  
  
At last, we've slipped out of the huge mansion.  
  
I'm utterly exhausted. I gasp huge breaths as I stumble down onto a nearby grassy cleaing, deep in the woods.  
  
But suddenly, thunderous booms start to echo out from far behind us!  
  
Looking up into the open nighttime sky, fireworks of all colors adorn the starry evening.  
  
I stare upwards, dumbfounded.  
  
"What's goin' on?" Kid asks.  
  
Then, through the trees, I look up at the manion, and all my questions are answered. There, we see all the occupants of Viper Manor, waving and cheering for us.  
  
"Long love Mistress Riddel!"  
  
"Hip hip, hooray!"  
  
"Good luck!"  
  
"We'll all be over for brunch once you're settled!"  
  
Then, Kid nudges me, pointing to the rooftop.  
  
And there, Lord Lynx sits solemnly with a teat in his eye,  
waving to us.  
  
"The father of the bride..."  
  
Riddel lifts her head up to speak, briefly pausing from her joyful sobs.  
  
"All this fuss... all this fighting..."  
  
"It is I who should be apologizing, my lady," Magil says,  
putting his forehead to hers, wiping her cheek with his handkerchief.  
  
"Oh Gilbert, it's the same old you," she says, sighing.  
  
From far across the landscape, a deep shimmering light begins to fill the sky.  
  
"Look, Riddel... there's our Frozen Flame," Magil says,  
pointing towards the morning sun.  
  
Magil: Caught Between Love and Adventure  
  
The End  
  
And so, the curtain closes on another tale. However,  
another time, after the spotlight had faded from Gilbert,  
Riddel, and Noelle...  
  
...In another place and another time... a similar band of adventurers had come forth, equally unsuspecting of their other selves, and life went on as they strode out into the great unknown.  
  
But that's a story for another day. For now, I shall put down my pen."  
  
As I softly close my grandfather's diary, I hear my mother's voice call to me from downstairs.  
  
"Didn't you hear me? You friend is here!"  
  
I turn around, already knowing who it is. My door opens quite energetically, where I see a strangely nostalgic girl barge in.  
  
"Serge! We found some ruins of an old mansion up in northern Kitsune Forest today! Come on, let's go exploring!"  
  
The End...  
  
The thing I like about this scenario is that there isn't a "bad guy". Don't get me wrong, I like a good villian as much as the next guy. However, sometimes its just nice to get away from that and into romantic stories such as this.  
  
And yes, I Iam/I a guy. Not all guys are shallow emotion-less drunkards :P. 


	4. Kid and the Sunflower

I still don't own this  
  
Kid and the Sunflower  
  
"Boy did her information help. I though the perimeter's counterspell would be quite a problem."  
  
Kid's braid gently sways from side to side in the cool nighttime breeze.  
  
So far, we've managed to slip through the magical shield network undectedet and sneak into Lynx's domain. Still,  
this inner region can make for some pretty rough travel.  
  
Kid, Magil, and I compose this party of three...  
  
However, while walking behind Kid, I can't help but notice her ponytail endlessly swishing back, and forth... back,  
and forth... back, and forth...  
  
I'm starting to get sleepy... so, so sleepy...  
  
It's too dangerous to fall asleep now, I keep telling myself over and over!  
  
Kid had a name for this sort of thing, but I can't seem to remember it at the moment...  
  
Man, that was close. Shaking my head, I try to stay alert.  
  
Still, all this is really something. Walking through a forest like this on a night like tonight reminds me so much of the dirst time I bumped into her....  
  
It's been something like three years since Kid and I met.  
Back then I was a drifter, wandering wherever my music led me. During my stay in the remote town of Regiorra, I ended up running into a girl who later joined me, leading to the beginning of all this.  
  
That girl was Kid...  
  
Kid is a thief, of course.  
  
Not even seventeen years old, already she's widely renowned as a top professional. To make matters worse,  
she's cute, devilishly stylish, and has a sparkling personality. And boy, can she cook... if you aske her that is.  
  
Well, to be completely honest, she has her share of problems as well. She likes to think of herself as a kind of Robin Hood, stealing from the rich and giving to the poor, but that's just not the case.  
  
At times her sharp tongue can get the best of her,  
viciously lashing out at anyone who stands in her way.  
She exaggerates every other word, and sometimes lies outright... and as for listening to other people, well,  
forget it.  
  
When it comes to my money, well, I've never met anyone greedier in my life. Her relentless pursuit of wealth is ironic, considering she's a nomad, like me...  
  
I don't know, maybe I'm being too hard on her. She has her good points, too. She can really shine sometimes,  
when she wants to...  
  
Glancing back over my shoulder, I notice a silhouette silently emerge from the grove.  
  
Magil...  
  
This associate of Kid's is known to us only as 'Magil of the Shadows'.  
  
I know next to nothing about him, except for the fact that he somehow knew Kid before I came into the picture.  
  
A high-class magician of some sort, he looks to be about thirty. He usually keep to himself, though.  
  
The top half of his face is covered with a mask at all times. I've never even seen what he really looks like.  
  
At times, it seems as though I'm hanging around someone from another world -- traveling with this pack is definitely an interesting experience.  
  
Kid's quiet about her past too, but it's like I know her entire life story compared to how little I know about Magil.  
  
From time to time I find myself wondering who he is,  
where he came from, and so on. I'd ask Kid, but I get the impression she knows as little about him as I do.  
  
You might be wondering, how did I end up where I am now? Well, there's a lot of reasons, I suppose...  
  
My life deinitely hasn't turned out the way I thought it would... not that it's been a terribly bad life, at least not so far, but still...  
  
Remembering back to when Kid and I first met, my face breaks into a wry smile.  
  
"Hey mate, what's with the funny face all of a sudden?"  
  
"Oh, nothing... I was just thinking how strange life is."  
  
"Life? What're ya thinkn' about all that for? You sure yer not turnin' into some kinda pansy or somethin', are ya Serge?" she says over her shoulder before rushing on ahead.  
  
"Hey, what's that bright flash over there?" Kid suddenly asks, pointing towards a thicket in front of us.  
  
"Huh? I don't see anything..."  
  
I look around closely, but all I see is a bunch of trees and rocks, extending on into the darkness.  
  
"It was a bright flash. It was right over there, I tell ya!"  
  
I walk over beside Kid, trying to see whatever it was she saw. Magil approaches as well a moment later.  
  
"We are already fairly deep into Lord Lynx's terrirtory,"  
he says. "It's dangerous to start blindly wandering around. You are aware of that fact, are you not?"  
  
However, Kid doesn't budge an inch, keeping her eyes on the bush.  
  
"Do you feel something here?" Magil asks, changing his expression a moment later.  
  
Kid's eyes meet Magil's for a moment, but before long she returns her focus to the forest.  
  
"So be it," he finally says. "If we are intended to stray from the path, this may prove to be worth something in its own regard."  
  
But before Magil even finishes speaking, Kid bolts,  
disappearing into the trees!  
  
"Hey, wait up!"  
  
"Be careful, Serge. Foul things lie down this path..."  
  
Nodding, I cautiously start to make my way through the trees.  
  
Much to my suprise, we're able to find it right away. It turns out to be a bautiful beetle, colored solid gold,  
perched on a high tree limb.  
  
"The Golden Beetle!!" Kid cries out, climbing up the large tree.  
  
The beetle certainly glitters like real gold... Kid seems quite caught up in the sight. No, not caught up in the sight -- rather, caught up in the greed, I should say...  
  
"Man, she's fast..."  
  
She's already climbed up about five of six times my height, heavily baited with hopes of gold.  
  
"Ah hah!"  
  
Kid catches it, but almost instantly the beetle shakes free, buzzing out of her hand!  
  
"Wait!" she yells, reaching out her hand further and further, hoping to catch the golden insect. But suddenly,  
she loses balance and falls!  
  
"Hold on!!" I yell, leaping forward.  
  
But then, she begins to curl herself into a small ball,  
spinning around in midair like a cannonball!  
  
This is bad! She'll knock the both of us out if I have to catch her like that!  
  
Seeing this, I jump out of the way, fearing for my life!  
  
However, Kid opens herself up mere feet from the ground, gracefully landing as nimble as a cat!  
  
She doesn't sem hurt in the least. If I hadn't run, she probably would have landed flat on my face...  
  
"Kid..."  
  
"Wait! My beetle!!" she yells, continuing to chase after it withoug even acknowledging us.  
  
Relentlessly chasing the beetle, she plunges deeper and deeper into the forest. We follow after, desperately trying to keep her in sight. For all I know, it could be the Golden Beetle, or just another common insect...  
  
However, we're so deep in the forest now, I can't see anything but an endless assortment of dark trees and jagged rocks, stretching out in every direction. I doubt Kid herself can even see the beetles at this point.  
  
How could she still be tracking it?  
  
As soon as I start to ask myself this, I realize what she'd tell me -- intuition.  
  
Suddenly, Kid stops in a clearing.  
  
"Did you find it!?"  
  
"Naw... I found somethin' gold, but it ain't the Golden Beetle."  
  
I look over Kid's shoulder. There, in a small spot of light,  
stands a tall golden plant. My first impression is that it's a sunflower, but those don't usually bloom at night, do they?  
  
"What is this thing?"  
  
"Sheeze, yer as thick as ever. There's somethin' special about this thing, can't ya feel it!?"  
  
Hmm... I close my eyes, trying to get one of those feelings she's always talking about...  
  
I close my eyes trying to concentrate.  
"So, do ya feel anything?"  
  
"Hmm... well, I feel a little tired..."  
  
"Not that kind of feeling, ya dummy!" she says angrily,  
slapping me upside the head.  
  
I have to admit, I haven't had much experience being intuitive... especially while being beaten up...  
  
Hmmmm... I try to wonder what she can possibly be feeling all the way out here in the middle of nowhere.  
  
I walk around the enormous plant, taking another look at it. But then, suddenly...  
  
"What the...!?"  
  
A face suddenly emerges in the center of the flower! It's a ghastly sight, complete with drunken, drowsy eyes,  
purple eyelashes, thick, pink lips, and a long bent nose! A cross-dressing subflower... now I've seen it all!  
  
I go to ask Kid, but she's too busy laughing at it. She's truly something else, without a doubt...  
  
I take another look, not that I'm interested in this sort of thing... (not that there's anything wrong with that...)  
  
Ugh, I feel strange... what kind of twisted mind would make something like this?  
  
Apparently unfazed bu the strange sight, Magil calmly starts to rack his brain. "Ah, what was this sort of thing called," he says as he strokes his chin, going into a sort of quiet trance.  
  
I sure hope he remembers soon... that's Magil for you,  
though. he's got a head full of knowledge, wiser than most I've ever met. However, it takes him a good but of time to remember certain things, and until he remembers,  
he'll remain completely useless. He's led us into danger a few times because of that...  
  
"Bonsoir, mademoiselle."  
  
Wait, it can talk too!?"  
  
"Madam-what?" Kid asks, smirking.  
  
"Ah, ma che'rie, I was just zneaking a peek at your petite breast. I hope that you are not angry!  
Uhuhuhuhu!"  
  
"What!? Get yer eyes offa me!"  
  
"Oh, my zweet mademoiselle... how young and feizty you are," the sunflower answers back playfully.  
  
"You perverted freak'a nature! Watch what ya say around me!" Kid says as she flashes her dagger, dangling down at her side.  
  
Kid squaring off with a sunflower... now I've seen it all.  
  
"Ah, my dahling... perhapz you and I could converse zomewhere a bit more... private?"  
  
Suddenly, Kid whips out her dagger, slashing clean through the sunflower's stalk!  
  
"Gyaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!"  
  
Its blaring screech is as excruciating to hear as a hundred hands simultaneously scratching down a chalkboard!  
  
I feel faint... my knees are going to buckle if I hear any more of that deafening screech!  
  
But then, suddenly... "Oh hoo hoo, you must not bee so violent, ma zweet-chested fille! Zat tickles!"  
  
Somehow, another sunflower has instantly sprouted and replaced the one that was cut down, perfectly identical to its predecessor!  
  
"Bastard!!" Kid shouts, slashing her dagger through the air once again!  
  
"Gyaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!"  
  
More and more of that awful screech fills the air. But then, moments later...  
  
"Non, I am not yet married... but, if you insist..."  
  
"Gyaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!"  
  
"Gyaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!"  
  
"Gyaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!"  
  
"Gyaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!"  
  
"Gyaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!"  
  
Kid continues hacking away, tearing dow everynew sunflower that pops up! However, for every one she mows down, two or three instantly sprout up in its place!  
  
All this screeching... I can't take it any longer! "Stop,  
Kid! Please..."  
  
"Stop, Kid!" I shout, trying to intervene.  
  
However, she heatedly shoves me aside, becoming more and more infuriated as she hacks through the never-ending crop of sunflowers!  
  
This is kind of pathetic, but rationalizing with Kid is useless. All I can think of is to ask Magil for help.  
  
I look over at him and ask "Magil, what do we do!?" but he just stands there with his finger on his chin, staring down at the ground, as still as a statue!  
  
Shaking him, I shout "Hey! Magil!!" but it's useless.  
Beneath his mask, those eyes of his sport a blank, foggy gaze, silently staring off into nothingness. I can't believe it -- he must still be trying to remember what this thing is called!  
  
We have to do something here! I can't just sit here and let this happen!  
  
"Ah, ma che'rie... why must you zhake your puny little zword at moi? We do not need such love games. Wit ze sweet felingz we have for each other, zere is no use for la violence, n'est-ce que pas?"  
  
Kid's face turns redder and redder as she buries herself further into the sunflower patch.  
  
"Ah, I remember now," Magil says, finally snapping out of it. "This is what is known as a 'Mandora Monster.  
Please do not make the mistake of trying to cut it down."  
  
"Uhh... Magil..."  
  
I point to the humongous crop of sunflowers, where Kid has now resorted to gripping one of the sunflowers'  
stalks and shaking it with both hands. However, the sunflower does nothing but laugh down at her.  
  
Suddenly, all around us, the ground starts to tremble and quake! Dirt loosens as the ground gives way,  
creating a sort of quicksand beneath our feet! I leap back instantly, but I then realize Kid's still in the thick of it, ignoring everything except the sunflowers!  
  
"Kid!!!" I yell, but it's too late! She's caught up in the entanglement of stalks! After a moment, she slips and falls on the unstable ground, getting swallowed up into the newly formed pit beneath her!  
  
I try to go after her, but just as I approach the patch,  
a great number of plants and vines quickly shoot up around Kid, blocking me!  
  
Then, suddenly, a mess of vines leap out at me, trying to wrap themselves around my arms and legs!!  
  
However, I feel a strong set of arms take hold of me and jerk me back almost immediately. "Thanks, Magil..."  
  
"There's no time to lose! Run!"  
  
"But Kid...!"  
  
"I know!"  
  
Running up onto a nearby hill, I stop for a moment and look back. The whole mess is nothing but a billowing cloud of dust now. All I can make out are a multitude of vines waving crazily in the air. I can neither see nor hear Kid.  
  
As soon as I try to make a run for the dusty mess, Magil reaches out with his large hands, restraining me.  
  
"We must wait for the dust to settle. It's useless to try and find her now."  
  
He's right, it's a way too crazy in there right now. I try to remind myself that the only reason I want to do something is out of shock. I need to relax...  
  
After a minute or two, the dust starts to settle.  
  
"Hey, what's that?"  
  
A large silhouette is starting to appear from out of the dust cloud. It's big... a lot bigger than what was there before.  
  
As the figure is gradually exposed to the moonlight, I start to see a more defined shape...  
  
"Kid!!!"  
  
This thing, whatever it is, is easily seven or eight times my height.  
  
Its body seems to resemble a gorilla's. It's exposed muscles are wrapped in ivy, and its digits remind me of pointed shellfish. Golden sunflower petals are lined up in the back of its neck.  
  
However, instead of a head...  
  
...It's her!  
  
Kid's stark naked upper body has been fused into the top of the monster. Other than the two small sunflowers covering her chest, she's wearing nothing at all...  
  
"Serge, listen to me. The Mandora Monster has fused with Kid. We must save her quickly, otherwise she'll be lost forever, consumed by her own hate."  
  
"Serge! Quit gawking and pay attention!"  
  
"What? She's going to die!?"  
  
I frantically try to think of what to do. It's hard though, I can't seem to take my eyes off those two sunflowers...  
  
Kid's expressionless face teeters listlessly back and forth as the monster establishes its footing. Those usually fiery eye of hers now appear desperate and hollow. Her skin is a dark grassy green, like that of an amazon goddess...  
  
"Calm down. There is a way."  
  
The monster has managed to intertwine itself with Kid because of her strong sentiments of anger. Unless we seperate Kid from her anger, we will be unable to save her."  
  
"How do we do that!?"  
  
"...With love."  
  
"Love..."  
  
"Yes... it's the only way. I shall go and make preparations. In the meantime, protect Kid's body, and show her love. Also, you must prevent her from using any magic. In her current state, the more she casts spells, the more she'll be lost to that beast."  
  
"What? Kid can't use magic."  
  
"She can now."  
  
How can this be happening...  
  
"Serge, show her your love," Magil says, leaving me with those words as he sinks into a nearby shadow.  
  
"Wait! Magil! Magiiiilll!!"  
  
Alone and afraid, I look up at the huge atrocity as I shudder in the chilly nighttime breeze.  
  
Love... I couldn't think of a more awkward place to think about love. The sound of the word makes me cringe, as it dances through my mind...  
  
While lost in thought, I suddenly hear a soft muttering from far above.  
  
"Ya say they're small..."  
  
"They're not small, I tell ya..."  
  
"Others' are big... too big..."  
  
"Stop makin' fun of me..."  
  
"I'll kill you! I'll kill you all!!"  
  
Kid cries out madly, her eyes filled with flames of rage!  
  
Suddenly her gaze shifts toward me. The monster instantly lashes out a giant stone hammer from behind,  
arcing it down towards me!  
  
I instantly jump back just as the giant hammer comes crashing down, kicking up heaps of dirt and sand with a ground-shaking thud!  
  
"Kid! It's me, Serge!" I call out to her, waving my arms wildly. However, the only reaction I get is of increasing anger!  
  
Just then, I start to hear a low voice call out from beyond a nearby hill. "What's going on over there!?"  
  
Oh no... goblins!  
  
"Look, it's the Mandora! What's got it all acting up?"  
  
Noticing the goblins, the monster begins to moan. Kid's cheeks puff up, and then, suddenly...  
  
Kid sends a giant fireball streaking out of her mouth,  
crashing into the goblins! It instantly reduces them to ashes!  
  
"Dammit... magic!" I say to myself as Magil's warning flashes through my head.  
  
Finished with the goblins, the monster suddenly remembers me, turning around and returning its gaze my way!  
  
I can't help but feel embarrassed, professing my love to a hulking monster who's ready to kill me...  
  
I nervously shoult "I love you!" up into the night sky,  
hoping she'll hear me...  
  
Suddenly, the monster starts to draw closer and closer to me! Did I do it? Is she coming back to reality?  
  
...No, it really doesn't look like it! Help!!  
  
I run and hide, plunging into the deep, dark labyrinth of the wilderness.  
  
However, behind me I can hear the thunderous sounds of trees being crushed and boulders being broken. I continue to run as the gigantic monster chases after me!  
  
I've been running for at least five straight minutes now,  
dodging trees and jumping logs. I'm starting to lose my breath...  
  
Just as I begin to think I can't run any more, the end of the forest comes into view!  
  
However, as I come to the clearing...  
  
Lined up before me is a troupe of fearless-looking goblins. They're carrying a huge cannon with them, easily twenty feet tall. I try not to think of how easily I'd be obliterated if I ever accidentally stood in its path... or was forced to stand in its path, for that matter...  
  
"There! Lock on target!" shouts a goblin. Oh, great...  
  
I collapse at the goblin's feet, out of breath.  
  
The goblin leader, decked in a full suit of iron armor sporting Lynx's insignia, comes over towards me.  
  
It glares at me with piercing, intimidating eyes, as thought it's ready to whip out its mace if I do so much as breathe the wrong way.  
  
I really don't know about this, turning to goblins for help... but, I've got no other choice!  
  
"Please, help me save my friend!"  
  
The goblin guard stares at me blankly. I continue,  
gasping for air between sentences. "We were chasing after this beetle, but then a sunflower suddenly appeared, and captured my friend, and started to chase me through the forest! Please, you have to help us! She's the most important thing in the world to me!!"  
  
...The goblin's eyes relax. "Is that right... your friend was captured? I understand. We'll help you. Don't worry."  
  
"Thank you!"  
  
Boy, I'm sure glad I didn't judge this book by its cover.  
  
However, just as I say this...  
  
"And how much would zis lovely beetle of Kid's zell for,  
hmm?"  
  
That voice!  
  
Suddenly, the goblin shouts out! "What!? Your friend is that crooked thief, Kid?"  
  
A wave of shock goes through me. Just when things were starting to seem okay for one...  
  
I try to see behind the goblins, searching for that strangely familiar voice, the one that sounded just like the sunflower's. However, allI can make out is some sort of strange psychedelic light, emanating from behind the troupe.  
  
The light seems to be coming from a figure, whoever (or whatever) it is. As he makes his way through the crowd, I finally get a good look at him. His hairstyle reminds me of a tall green chimney, and his red and green pinstriped costume is like that of a harlequin. An over-the-top, long purple cape drags behind him as he approaches me.  
  
"Are you... the sunflower?" I ask, confused.  
  
"Sunflowah? Who iz a sunflowah!?" it cries out.  
  
I can't help it... this person... no, this thing -- his face looks exactly like the sunflower's!  
  
Caught off guard by the sight, two goblin guards flank me by suprise, wrestling me to the ground.  
  
"Ah, monsiuer... you are mademoiselle Kid's friend, non? I do not believe we have met. Bonsoir, Je m'appelle Pollon.  
T'roughout ze world, I am known as 'Ze Green Terreur.  
Perhapz you have heard of moi, non?"  
  
Ugh... That same strange feeling I got with that sunflower arises...  
  
"Screw you, pervert!"  
  
"Pervert? Moi? Non, monsieur, you zimply do not underztand ma elegant nature!"  
  
"No matter! Soon, le terreur shall be planted in your heart, for Kid'z death iz at hand! As a gentleman, I shall grant you the privilege of seeing zis happen before your very eyez."  
  
"Isn''t there anything else you can do?"  
  
I plead from the bottom of my heart, begging to let her go.  
  
"Ah, it iz very beautiful zat you feel zis way about her.  
But, alas, I am under employment, and I must deal wit'  
intruderz. I am zorry, but I cannot grant your wish,"  
Pollon says, with a cheerful gesture of consolation.  
  
"Captain! There it is!!"  
  
The goblin's shout strikes into my heart like a death sentence.  
  
"To the cannon, sir!" the guard says to Pollon.  
  
"Stop! Please!!" I hollder, hopelessly trying to break free of the guards restraint. However, they only tighten their grip on my arms, and tears begin to stream down my face as the pain shoots in.  
  
"Monsiur, I offer you zis. Are zere any final wordz you would like moi to zay to zis friend of yours?"  
  
"Please, I beg you... stop..."  
  
"Ah, you really have true feelings for zis fille," Pollon says softly, taking out a handerkerchief to wipe his tears.  
  
"I am most moved," he continues. "Perhapz when I finish her, I shall zay for you, 'Adieu, ma che'rie! Wait for moi in hell, ma sweet!'"  
  
With a bittersweet smile on his face, Pollon skips toward the pedestal.  
  
"No! Stop!!"  
  
My grievous cries resound unanswered, echoing throughout the starry night sky. I can see some of the goblins have felt my side of the story, but Pollon remains unfazed.  
  
"Well zen, let us begin!" he shouts, grasping the crystal ball with both hands. "Gonyogonyogonyogonyogonyo.  
Fireball!!"  
  
"Adiew, ma che'rie! Wait for moi in hell, my sweet!"  
  
The barrel of the magical cannon flashes as a tremendous fireball is let loose!  
  
It shoots directly towards the monster, crashing into its torso with the impact of a two-tonbattering ram!  
Explosive flames engulf the area, blowing me back with a gust of hot air!  
  
"Kid!!"  
  
"Oui! Oui! Finally, we are rid of zat horrible little mademoiselle! In ze past, such terrible experinzes have stemmed from her, non? But now, we shall worry about her no more! Ho, hohohoho!"  
  
"...Kid..."  
  
I fall to the ground, devastated. But even moreso is the dreadful feeling of regret I'm filled with.  
  
However, suddenly, the goblin guards simultaneously call out in suprise! "Captain! Look!"  
  
A giant figure of some kind seems to be emerging frin the blazing explosion!  
  
As the smoke subsides, there stands the monster,  
completely unharmed!  
  
Just as I though, that pompous freak is no match for Kid! I breath a sigh of relief, but then I realize I'm no further away from doom than before...  
  
"What? She livez!? How can zis be!?" Pollon screams incredulously, running toward me. The relaxed smile from earlier has now been replaced with nervous sweat.  
  
"What kind of twizted magic iz zis!?" he frustratedly asks me.  
  
"It's impossible pour vous..."  
  
I answer sarcastically, trying to imitate that pompous accent of his, complete with landing a few drops of saliva on his putrid face.  
  
Pollon turns bright red. "What!? Zpit it out, you little zwine!" he demands, furiously shaking me by my shirt!  
  
But then, all of a sudden...  
  
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh...  
  
Like a howling wolf, Kid's voice echoes out throughout the grassy plain.  
  
A chill runs down my spine. Could it really be her, trying to break free from the monster...?  
  
As I stare up at her, silence and fear take hold. Shes waving her hands around in the air, saying something in a slow, deep voice...  
  
"The dead who lurk in the dark..."  
  
Quietly and solemnly, Kid's voice begins to echo out.  
That's her voice, all right, but its doesn't sound like her at all... that monster's still got a hold on her. It must be using her to summon another spell! As she continues to chant, a blue aura starts to form in front of hter,  
shimmering with deadly beauty.  
  
"Eh? How can she do zat?" Pollon shrieks, now turning blue with fright. "No one can ztand up againzt ma cannon!"  
  
"Adieu...!" he shouts, before quickly fleeing!  
  
The goblin chief follows soon after. "All troops, fall back! Retreat to the manor, on the double!!"  
  
Following the goblin chief's orders, the soldiers abandon the cannon and flee to Viper Manor.  
  
I'm left alone with this gigantic monstrosity, listening to it starting to summon who knows what. What am I supposed to do now...?  
  
My cries ring out in the night sky as I gulp down desperate gasps of air. However, the only response I hear is Kid's...  
  
"Hatred and jealousy in my hands..."  
  
"Gather into a thousand dark prayers..."  
  
Just as I think I'm about to lose it, a voice echoes out from behind me!  
  
"There you are."  
  
Alarmed, I whip around instantly!  
  
"Magil!"  
  
Relieved, I try to catch my breath.  
  
He's changed -- a strange sort of glittering silver robe drapes down from his shoulders, and a bright ring shines across his entire back.  
  
I want to ask him about his new clothes and everything,  
but now isn't the time. Instead, I tell him all about what happened, the chain of evernts relentlessly overflowing from my heart.  
  
"I tried to do what you told me to, but..."  
  
"Yes. However for now, we should leave this are. It is not safe here."  
  
Scooping me up under his arm, Magil briefly recites a spell, and soars high into the air!  
  
From far above, I look down upon the ominous landscape, hearing Kid continues recite her strange incantation...  
  
"The fallen angel, Arcmyst..."  
  
"Answer my prayer, and grant me thy power..."  
  
I can barely make it all out from up here. But, from what I can tell, a faint, pale light is starting to drift all around the monster, causing the ball of light in Kid's hands to grow stronger and stronger. I wish I could do something, but...I don't know what to do!  
  
"Death to all living things..."  
  
"Destruction to all creation..."  
  
"Devour all light..."  
  
"Phantom... Break...!"  
  
With the sound of a thousand tortured voices of madness crying out in unison, Kid's surging ball of light begins to grow larger and larger, eating away at everything around her!  
  
The pale shimmering slowly stretches outwards,  
swallowing up everything in its path, melting Viper Manor like fire on ice! It indiscrminately evaporates the huge mansion, along with evrything else in its wake...  
  
Stretching out more and more, the gigantic void eats away at everything, before disappearing into the ground...  
  
"Unbelievable..."  
  
If Magil hadn't been here just now... Oh man, just thinking about it gives me chills.  
  
A giant fissure has been created where Viper Manor once stood, continuing down into the ground farther than I can see.  
  
And there, on the brink of this newly-formed ravine,  
stands Kid...  
  
"She seems to be holding out," Magil says. "She's wrestling with the monster for control, but she's almost at her limit."  
  
I can barely hold back the impatience in my heart,  
looking down upon all this...  
  
"What's going to happen to her? Don't let her die!!"  
  
"Quiet, child!!"  
  
Magil's unexpected outburst snaps me out of my nervousness.  
  
"Calm down, Serge."  
  
He's right, I need to keep my cool. I don't think he needed to go about it like that, though...  
  
"Allow me to cast a levitation spell on you," he says,  
before muttering some arcane words. Shortly after, he gently releases me.  
  
Whoa, I'm floating!  
  
"To fly, simply thinkk about the direction you wish to travel."  
  
Whoa, I'm floating!  
  
"To fly, simply think about the direction you wish to travel."  
  
Nodding, I carefully try it out. He's right! This is amazing! I dart here and there, flying circles around him with ease!  
  
"Now, please let me see your knife."  
  
I take it out and hand it to him.  
  
Magil takes out a white jewel from inside his robe, and again mumbles some strange sounding words. Suddenly,  
the jewel attaches itself to the hilt of my knife as though it were magnetized!  
  
He hands the knife back to me, saying "I mentioned this to you before, but let me emphasize it again. Kid is bound to the monster's body because of her anger. As long as that bond exists, we will be unable to save her. To break it, I told you to show her your love."  
  
"But I don't understand how to do that!" I yell, pressing him for an answer.  
  
"A kiss."  
  
I have to kiss that thing?"  
  
"Yes. It is the most effective way."  
  
"But... its arms are as wide as my waist! Why didn't you tell me this before!?" I yell hitting him upside the head in a fit of rage!  
  
And with that, I accidentally knock Magil's golden mask off, sending it falling down through the night sky to the ground!  
  
Gulp... did I just do that?  
  
This is the first time I've ever seen his true face.  
  
Even for a guy like me, I'm taken aback by his looks. His hair sways in the moonlight, as his piercing blue eyes survey the enviroment below.  
  
His beauty is different than a woman's... there's some sort of a fierce, intrepid quality about him.  
  
He is truly... a beautiful person.  
  
Magil's hand suddenly comes across my face, eagerly returning the blow.  
  
"Serge, listen to me!"  
  
"I'm okay now, I swear! I wasn't gawking!"  
  
"If Kid uses one more spell, we will not be able to save her. Be sure to kiss her before that happens! However, if you are unable to do this before she finishes concentrating her magical power, you must thrust your knife into her heart! The jewel embedded in your knife holds the power to steal souls. Doing so will be dangerous, but it will be our last resort!"  
  
Listening to Magil's words, the possibilities run through my head.  
  
Two choices...  
  
Even though I can fly, it's going to be incredibly hard to get close enough to that thing to kiss her.  
  
But, the alternative... I don't even want to think about that.  
  
"I'm going to start perparations for the exorcisim. I will not be able to come to your aid during this time."  
  
Oh man... he's got to go away agai? Could this get any more hopeless!?  
  
Taking a deep breath, I try to convince myself I should be facing Kid on my own anyways.  
  
"I... I can't do it...!"  
  
"How can you hope to save her with feelings of doubt in your heart?" Magil shouts seizing me by the collar.  
"You must saver her! No one else can do it!"  
  
Magil's words are as much of a scolding as they are a reinforcment. But still, I'm a nervous wreck.  
  
He's right, I've got to do this. Just as he has things he must do, I too must face my destiny. I'm the only one who can do it! If I don't, we'll lose Kid forever!!  
  
His grip loosens, seeing the change in my expression.  
  
"Yes, Serge... your determination is at the very core of this matter," he says, with his deep blue eyes fixed solidly on me. Strange, behind that seemingly impenetrable gaze of his, I swear I hint of compassion, somewhere within him...  
  
"Well then, let's go."  
  
"Protect the girl you love with all your might,  
and all your heart."  
  
As Magil's words resound into my head, an uproar of might rushes into my spirit.  
  
I'm going to save her... even if it kills me.  
  
The will to save the one and only Kid pulses through my body. I flash Magil a huge smile, and begin my descent...  
  
For Kid...  
  
Soaring down through the air, I spot Kid at the edge of the chasm.  
  
she's aware of me as well. As the monster rises to is feet, she stares up at me with an infuriated look on her face.  
  
She's changed...  
  
Countless red veins have streaked across her body,  
pulsating with anger.  
  
The monster's right hand arcs upward in a flash, trying desperately to grab me. I dodge at the very last second.  
  
I zip behind its arm, coming within a dangerously close range.  
  
Come on... time this right...  
  
I reach out my right hand and carefully cover up her mouth, hoping to prevent her from completing the spell.  
  
"Kid... I feel so much for you... I..." but before I can finish, she starts to strangle me!  
  
Urrghhh... she's so strong! There's no way I can break free!  
  
No... I can't give up! I have to do this!!  
  
I try again, this time with such ferocity, I use strength I didn't know I had!  
  
There! Her grip is slipping! Yes! I free myself and instantly fly back a ways!  
  
However, before I have time to react, the monster's left hand suddenly whips out at me!  
  
Suddenly, a tremendous pressure assaults my torse!  
  
Looking around, I realize the monster's caught me in its huge hand!  
  
It brings me up towards Kid, with her morbid stare fixed solely on me...  
  
Her lips turn into a gloating smile, before changing into a billowing, hateful laugh. She reaches out and places her right hand on my forehead, and then, a stream of red starts to pour from from her mouth!  
  
Oh no... she's starting another spell!  
  
I holler out with all my heart, hopin there's any part of her real self still left!  
  
However, her expression remains unchanged as her unblinking eyes dance around erratically.  
  
Suddenly a trace of light begins to form in the palm of her hand red streaks begin to rise up along her body!  
  
"Kid!!!!!"  
  
Then, suddenly, a ring of light comes flying at us from overhead, cutting into the monster's arm like a hot knife through butter!  
  
I fall to the ground with the monster's arm, instantly released from its excruciating grip!  
  
"Serge! Now!!" Magil shouts from high above!  
  
Heeding Magil's order, I got for it!  
  
Reaching my hand out towards her ever beautiful face, I hesitatingly move in towards her lips.  
  
I can't do it without you, Kid...  
  
The words echo out in my head...  
  
"Well done, Serge! Hold her tightly to you, and leave the rest to me!!"  
  
Hearing that voice, I slowly open my eyes. All I see before me is Kid's face, hollow and listless...  
  
I'm so scared...I hug her tighter than I've ever hugged her before, quietly sobbing as I kiss her again and again.  
  
Looking up, I see Magil floating among a sea of clouds.  
Hanging there in midair with his arms folded, his dazzling figure glitters like gold.  
  
Suddenly, the clouds beneath him open up as he dart downward,aiming directly for us!  
  
"The moon comes forth... Its goddess speaks.  
I am summoned by the will to vanquish evil.  
Goddess of the Moon, lend me your power.  
Scourge the insolent evil from this world..."  
  
"...Now!!"  
  
The golden ring printed on Magil's cape shines brighter and brighter as he swoops down on us!  
  
"Gyyaaaah!"  
  
Lunaxhant Ringforce Kick!!  
  
Centered on Kid, the collision creates a huge explosion,  
spreading over the monster's entire body!  
  
My first instinct is to back away, but I remain by her,  
hugging her body tighter than ever! Somehow, the explosive flames don't seem to harm me!  
  
Soon after, the flames begin to subside. I slowly open my eyes, only to see the spell on Kid has been broken! She's been seperated from the monster!  
  
I hold her body tightly to me as I fly away with her, far out of the reach of the incapacitated monster.  
  
Looking back, the monster begins to pulsate with a white light, causing the battered monster's body to shake and tramble. Shimmering sparks dance around its body, circling the beast faster and faster, until the entire scene is a glistening ball of light!  
  
Soaring further and further away from the calamity, I look back again only to see the monster implode into a single point of light. Having left no trace of the disaster that took place before, the small point of light briefly zips around like a firefly, disappearing into the night sky in a flash.  
  
Looking down, I can't help but grin as I see the familiar sight of Kid's face. The green in her skin is rapidly fading, returning to the normal color it once was.  
  
"Kid... it's going to be okay..."  
  
"There is no need to worry. Once her spirit settles, she will awaken. Here, put this on her. It wouldn't be too good if she was to wake up like that," Magil says,  
holding out his silver cape.  
  
Yeah, if she wakes up like this, it'll be slaps and bruises for everyone...  
  
I take the cape and quickly wrap it arounf her limp body.  
  
"M..."  
  
She's coming to!  
  
My heart race. I look at her face, seeing her eyelids start to tremble.  
  
"Good morning, Kid!" I say, still a bit nervous.  
  
"Serge... Magil..."  
  
She groggily moves her eyes around, left and right...  
  
And then, after that brief, subdued moment...  
  
"You two... dammit, ya saw me naked, didn't ya..."  
  
Shocked, I look up at Magil, but he's nowhere to be seen...  
  
How could he leave me alone with her at a time like this!  
Why can't I be the one with the power of the shadows...  
  
Kid stares at me with those ever-fiery eyes of hers...  
  
"Hey, you kissed me too!?"  
  
How could she remember any of that... dammit, Magil...  
  
"Yes... I kissed you."  
  
Letting out a deep breath, I answer truthfully...  
  
But before I can finish, "Yeah, just like I though! Tryin'  
to sneak in a quick peck when I'm knocked out!!" she yells, rising to her feet, slapping me again and again!  
  
"...And I'd never been kissed before!  
  
The nerve!  
  
Ya bastard! Ya bastard!! Ya bastard!!!"  
  
Suddenly, she stops and looks at me. It's over...  
  
"Hell no, this ain't over!!"  
  
She lands a solid punch square on my jaw, as her shouting continues to tear through my eardrums!  
  
Amidst all the commotion, the silver cape she was wearing accidentally slips off. Momentarily thrown off guard, she quickly bends down to cover herself back up.  
  
Heh.  
  
Wait, what's that on the ground? Kid seem to notice it as well, completely forgetting about me.  
  
She bends down, picking it up. It's some sort of large black and white striped object. Holding it up, I try to see what it is (from a safe distance). It looks like it's some sort of seed...  
  
Yeah, it's a sunflower seed. But it's so big... bigger than a fist!  
  
However, this only seems to add more fuel to her fire...  
  
"Grrrr.....rrraaaaaaaahhhhh!!"  
  
She stomps on it! And stomps! And stomps! And stomps and stomps and stomps and stomps and stomps and stomps and stomps and stomps and stomps and stomps!!  
  
Then, she picks it up, and hurls it upwards with all her might!  
  
"Gonyogonyogonyogoyo..."  
  
"Kid!" shouts Magil, suddenly behind her.  
  
"Kid! No!" he roars. But it's useless... she's locked into another one of her tantrums!  
  
"Gonyogonyogonyogonyo... fireball!"  
  
Disregarding him completely, she sends a huge fireball straking upwards to the seed!  
  
"That sunflower seed! It's worth 1,000,000,000 Gold!!"  
Magil shouts, just as the seed explodes!  
  
Kid suddenly looks over at Magil, but... it's too late.  
  
The look on her face is one I don't think I've ever seen before.  
  
Having just realized what she's done, her anger fades into a tremendous feeling of regret. She slumps over,  
silently staring into her hands.  
  
I can't believe a single seed could fetch such a price. It was a pretty big seed, though...  
  
"Be calm, Kid," Magil says. "As you see now, you've had the power to use magic in you all along. The sunflower merely brought it out of you. However, as you see, magic is a very temperamental thing. In time, you may learn to contro it."  
  
"Hey, come on, Kid! We didn't come away from this empty-handed! You've learned how to use magic, that's nothing to be down about!" I add, trying to make the best of things.  
  
Magil softly puts a hand on her shoulder. However, she quickly turns away from us without saying a word. Her eyes are overflowing with tears...  
  
Sigh... loks like it might be a while before things get back to normal.  
  
And so, the curtain closes on another tale. However,  
another time, after the spotlight had faded from Kid,  
Magil, and Pollon...  
  
...In another place and another time... a similar band of adventurers had come forth, equally unsuspecting of their other selves, and life went on as they strode out into the great unknown.  
  
But that's a story for another day. For now, I shall put down my pen."  
  
As I softly close my grandfather's diary, I hear my mother's voice call to me from downstairs.  
  
"Didn't you hear me? Your friend is here!"  
  
I turn around, already knowing who it is. My door open quite energetically, where I see a strangely nostalgic girl barge in.  
  
"Serge! We found some ruins of an old mansion up in northern Kitsune Forest today! Come one, let's go exploring!"  
  
Fin  
  
------bEnding notes/b-----  
  
This is gonna make someone mad, but...eh, the next storyline is SuperXtreme Alphacosmos Police Case EX Ultra.  
  
You know the Mick von Jovi one. 


	5. SuperXtreme Alphacosmos Police Case EX U...

Again I apologize for this one. On the bright side, I'm getting the hang of Notepad.  
  
---------Begin Story-------  
  
"Boy, did her information help. I thoguht the perimeter's counterspell would be quite a problem."  
  
Kid's braid sways gently from side to side in the cool nighttime breeze.  
  
So far, we've managed to slip through the magical shield network undetected and sneak into Lynx's domain. Still,  
this inner region can make for some pretty rough travel.  
  
Kid, Magil, and I comprise this party of three...  
  
However, while walking behind Kid, I can't help but notice her ponytail endlessly swishing back, and forth... back,  
and forth... back, and forth...  
  
I'm starting to get sleepy... so, so sleepy...  
  
"...Serge..."  
  
"Serge!!"  
  
"Huh!?"  
  
"Snap out of it, lazy bones!"  
  
Looking up, the tall, shadowy mansion of Lord Lynx looms before me. I can't believe we're there already... I must have been really out of it.  
  
"The hell were you daydreamin' about, mate? Let's go!"  
Kid says, disappearing into the mansion.  
  
"Hey, wait up, Kid!" I shout, frantically chasing after her. However, she's already deep inside.  
  
The darkness engulfs me...  
  
Passages extend to the left and right. Wherever we turn,  
darkness awaits...  
  
We head down the path. After a while, it ends at a stained wooden door.  
  
"Guess this's the study."  
  
This huge room is faintly lit by the moonlight, shining in through a tall window. In the back of the room stands a large, ornately decorated desk.  
  
Row after row of bookshelves house thousands of thick,  
dusty books. A painting is hung on the rear wall, sharing space with various exotic curios.  
  
I walk over and examine the painting, illuminated by the pale moonlight.  
  
It's an oil painting of a very strange landscape. I've never seen anything quite like it before.  
  
It's a depction of an endless, scorched desert, filled with red sand stretching out to the horizon. There,  
unbelievably tall mountains soar upwards for miles and miles, meeting a blazing orange sky.  
  
It seems surreal, almost out of this world. But even more than that, it seems like a very sad, lonely painting, as if it's depicting a fleeting memory of a desolate soul. What kind of person could have painted this?  
  
And furthermore, why's it here in the study? None of the other stuff around here matches it...  
  
Noticing me, Magil comes to my side.  
  
"Sorry... I guess I got distracted."  
  
Noticing his sharp gaze, I get the feeling he's going to berate me for my stupifity, getting caught up with a silly painting like this while we're in enemy territory.  
  
However, I'm mistaken.  
  
Even after I start to walk away, Magil doesn't seem to budge, still staring up at the painting.  
  
I look back at him, and suddenly realize what's going on.  
Usually, I'm at a loss to what he's thinking. Up until now,  
that was the way it was.  
  
But at this very moment, I completely understand him.  
  
Magil is...burning.  
  
A slight glow has started to radiate all around him. It seems like his fury has somehow tapped into the force of Maxwell's Demon, allowing him to violate the second law of thermodynamics.  
  
Actually, no, it's as though the helium and hydrogen free atoms drifting around the area are somehow causing a thermonuclear fusion reaction. The neutrinos of a reaction like this could be visible even in a cup of water.  
  
Fasciniating...  
  
The look on his face is the same cold expression he always wears. However, his internal temperature has clearly risen by more than a few degrees.  
  
"Serge... if anything should ever happen to me, please take care of Kid..."  
  
But before I can even get the chance to ask him what he means...  
  
His face turns red, his blood hot as lava, as though he's being stripped down to some sort of primal awareness,  
ready to attack whatever comes his way.  
  
"Finally... after all these years, I have you," he repeats over and over again, continuing to stare at the strange painting.  
  
His sharp, radiant gaze seems to pierce through the painting and beyond the mansion wall, as if he's seeing straight into the ethereal demiurge, Father Time himself...  
  
Behind that mysterious porcelain mask of his lies a consciousness oon the brink of critical mass, somehow innately prepared for this very day... for this very moment.  
  
"Hey," Kid says as the flames start to take on a blue hue, like that of a Cherenkov Reaction. "if ya keep on burnin' like that, yer gonna get us spotted."  
  
Suddenly notcing Magil's intesity, a giant sweat drop appears on her cheek, as a vein at her temple starts to throb prominently.  
  
Women... will they ever truly understand the true nature of males?  
  
"Kid, Magil is on the verge of something big here. If you're any kind of wife, you'll at least console him with one of your bittersweet smiles."  
  
Whap!  
  
"Ughhh..."  
  
"Hey, snap out of it, mate."  
  
Kid had gone to the trouble of removing one of her high laced boots and hitting me over the head with it. I awak from my daze, rubbing my head.  
  
"Huh? What the heck... I was only joking around, Kid."  
  
"Hrmf."  
  
"...What's goin' on with Magil?" Kid asks.  
  
"...I don't really know, but, something's been awakened inside him. Something fierce. I think he sees something in that painting... maybe Lynx himself..." I say, pointing to the bizarre painting as the 50cc of blood per second routinely flows through my temples.  
  
"That thing? It's just a stupid picture of a desert!" she yells, beyond bewildered.  
  
At any rate, Magil remains transfixed on the glossy oil canvas, glowing with that pale blue radiance all around him.  
  
Suddenly, something even stranger happens -- his right fist explodes into a ball of blue fire!  
  
After the flames abate, a strange symbol has emerged on the back of his hand -- two diagonally crossed broadswords, with an S shape in the middle, interlocking the blades.  
  
"Kid! Serge! We will no longer have to worry about keys,"  
he says, as the pale blue glow continues to radiate from his body.  
  
Ah, Magil... always good for some quality gobbledygook.  
Magil turns and walk back towards the entranceway.  
There, he holds out his hand, and after a few moments,  
the door starts to burn!  
  
I rush over, eager to see what's going on. What I see next amazes me -- nothing but a hole remains in the space where the door handle once was!  
  
Easily pushing the rest of the door open, we follow Magil out of the room.  
  
Proceeding along the path, we come to a firm-looking set of doors on the left.  
  
Magil steps towards the door with his burning hand extended.  
  
The instand his glowing blue palm touches the door, the lock simply disappears.  
  
"Whoa, Magil! Why didn't ye ever use that hand of yers before?"  
  
Kid purses her lips, slipping silently into the treasure vault.  
  
The hole left by Magil's new magic is perfectly round,  
with smooth edges, almost as though it had been cut with an incredibly sharp blade. Also, there doesn't seem to be a single scrap of wood left on the floor.  
  
"Even I don't know where the scraps go," he says from beside me as I enter through the doorway.  
  
Taking our first few steps inside, Kid whistles out loud in admiration. "Cripse... look at all this loot!"  
  
I'm taken aback as wll, despite the fact that this room smells like insceticide that's been kept alone in a drawer for years and years...  
  
Faintly visible in the dim light, a mountain of gold and silver treasure, countless works of fine art, and other shimmering artifacts fill the spacious room.  
  
Magil walks around, amazed at all the items scattered about the room. Oddly enough, he starts to go crazy over some of the more eclectic, less valuable looking items.  
  
"Ah... a statue of the hero Kafoul from the planet Tarus... a stuffed Darmafos from Saturn... A Trifid worm plant from Greylens... Krendathu Royal Jelly on a Lifemaker-inscribed plate... the Apostle's Crystal... and what's that over there? Could it really be a genuine Swiss Army Knife, embedded with Zora's Blue Stone?"  
  
...I had no idea he knew about all think kind of stuff... I had no idea there was -anybody- out there who knew about junk like this so much.  
  
"Hey, lookie what we have here," Kid says, walking over to an old movie caera. Feeling a but camera-friendly, she stretches out across the treasure, posing with a somewhat awkward smile for the camera.  
  
"The teleprompter's not in order," mutters Magil,  
abandoning the clunky machine he'd been checking out.  
  
Suddenly, there's a noise over in the far corner.  
  
I look over, seeing one of the items suddenly being knocked over. None of us are anywhere near it, though.  
  
I unsheathe my knife as Kid and I exchange glances. She goes goes to check it out, taking careful, quiet steps.  
  
"Ah, hell, it's just the Assistant Director," she says. "Ya bublin' crew... Always gettin' in the way!"  
  
The Assistant Director tries to explain, but is cut off by Kid.  
  
"Yer gonna make me screw up my lines!" Kid continues.  
"And besides, can't ya see we're right in the middle of a great find here!? And get me an Evian for cryin' out loud!"  
  
But then, something catches my eye. Over in the back of the room, behind the Claire Bible and Ideonite that the Assistant Director had knocked over, a shimmering red light streaks out, barely visible behind all the items.  
  
"...The Frozen Flame..."  
  
On an intricate pedestal sits a magnificent scarlet crytal. It's so perfectly radient, it seems as though it's unreal, like a product of plygon technology. It slowly rotates on the pedestal, beckoning us...  
  
"Halt! It may be dangerous."  
  
Magil extends his faintly glowing hand out towards Kid,  
yanking her hand backk just as she's about to grab the fabled item.  
  
"Easy, Magil... remember what that hand of yours can do..."  
  
But then, the scarlet jewel suddenly vanishes into thin air!  
  
We stare at each other, confused.  
  
Magil approaches the pedestal a few moments later,  
using his hand to burn a hole into the top of the platform.  
  
We peer down inside it. There, amongst an array of mechanical equipment, we see a circuit controlling the revolving pedestal, and another controlling a red lgith of some sort, flickering on and off.  
  
"Ah, a hologram... A fake, just as I expected," Magil says, looking around by the back of the pedestal.  
  
"Here's the cord..." he says, following along its path. "It should lead us to..."  
  
"Ah hah," he says, stopping at the wall where the cord goes into. There, we find nothgin but the stage hand,  
fumbling around with the power outlets. The short,  
oriental man looks up at us with a worried look on his face...  
  
"...Ya worthless piece'a garbage!" Kid yells, shaking the stage hand by the neck! "what'd ya do with the real Frozen Flame!?"  
  
"Come on, Kid," I say. "He wouldn;t know anything about anything that importnt. He was probably just trying to fix the lighting in here and tripped over the Frozen Flame's cord."  
  
Kid reluctantly releases her grip from the stage hand's neck, who gives a nervous, apologetic smile to us all before quickly scampering away.  
  
"And get me an Evian alrady!!" she yells as he scurries out of sight.  
  
"The real Flame's gotta be around here somewhere..."  
  
"I have a feeling the real Flame would not be stored in such an esily obtainable place, Kid. We should search elsewhere."  
  
"Aye..."  
  
We say goodbye to the treasure vault for now, resuming our search.  
  
After a little while we come to a door on the left. The terrace lies ahead.  
  
"What's with all this junk? Must be a storeroom or somethin'..."  
  
It seems like this is the inner mechanics of a clock tower.  
However, the gears look old and rusted, and cogs are spinning randomly without connecting up with their proper teetch. I doubt the clock's still in use toady; the room seems to be currently used as a storage area.  
  
A large object catched my attention, off in a far corner of the room. It's too dark over there to see what it is,  
though.  
  
I start to look around a bit, peering in under some of the covered items.  
  
But then, all of a sudden...  
  
"What's that...? What's going on? I didn't do anything!"  
  
Tension rises as a low rumbling sound starts to echo out through the room. The light in the room has also dimmed rather suddenly...  
  
Kid looka round the room with newfound interest.  
  
"I feel it too... Where's it comin' from?"  
  
I follow my ears over to the far wall. It seems to be coming from that direction. Kid approaches the dark,  
dusty rear half of the room with slow, cautious steps,  
attracted by the suspiciousness...  
  
The wall is covered with a large cloth. Whatever's making the noise seems to be coming from here.  
  
Kid and I look at each other. I hesitantly grip my knife as she gives the cloth a tug.  
  
"Whoa..."  
  
A vast collection of twinkling lights are lined up in an orderly fashion across the entire wall.  
  
I've never seen anything like this before... There's hardly any light in the room, nor does the moon's light shine in on us here, but somehow, these lights twinkle and sparkle on their own, as if they contain a spark of fire within each of them.  
  
The hum we heard earlier, like that of a firefly buzzing around, seems to be coming from everywhere on this wall.  
  
Speaking of fireflies, that's very much how it all looks,  
as well -- endless amounts of bright greens, reds, and blues twinkle and sparkle on the assortment of panels before us.  
  
Metal components of some kind seem to be integrated into the ceiling and the floor. What could all this be used for?  
  
Lynx... what has he up to all this time?  
  
Strange paintings, and now strange flickering walls,  
hidden completely out of sight...  
  
The atmosphere in here, I suddenly realize, feels strangely similar to when we where standing in front of the painting. Maybe it's Magil; his radiance has returned to a bright blue glow.  
  
Looking over at him, he looks as though he never left that room. He standds there, examining the wall with his lips pursed and a bead of sweat rolling down his cheek.  
  
"Hey mate, come check this out!"  
  
I turn my head over towards the far corner where Kid was investigating. It seems she's uncovered something more...  
  
It looks like some sort of huge box. It would probably be taller than Magil, if it wasn't tipped on its sife.  
  
It has a set of doors which open freely on its front face, which contain strange, colorful mechanics inside.  
  
"Isn't this about the usual size of the box that a fridge comes in?" Kid asks.  
  
"Kid, let's think for a minute," Magil says. "How could this be a refrigerator box, if refrigerators haven't even been invented yet?"  
  
Good call, Magil...  
  
"Oh yea, I forgot. Well uh... It looks an awful lot like a.  
uh... non-electric refrigerator... box... thing... er..."  
  
Magil and I glance at each other. Magil blinks.  
  
"Aw, hell, what does it matter what I call it!? It's got nothin' to do with the Frozen Flame!" she yells, kicking the box.  
  
Suddenly, the box starts to rumble! Lights begin to shine and shimmer all over it, letting out strange noises!  
  
It lets out a wild shrill as two flaps open up on both sides of the box. There, large legs sprout out! This thing,  
whatever it is, towers above us as it rise to its feet!  
  
Then, two more flaps open out, where two strong and sturdy arms begin to grow outwards, just as the legs did!  
  
Finally, a round dome rises up out of the top, complete with two wide eyes, a gaping mouth, and a rotating,  
arc-shaped antenna!  
  
Frightened for my life, I ready my weapon against the huge montrosity before me!  
  
"Aha, ahahahaha, hahaha!"  
  
Kid, on the other hand, can't seem to stop laughing.  
Yeah, it does look kind of clunky... maybe even a but funny-looking, but still...  
  
Uh oh... I think we rubbed it the wrong way! It looks down on us with a frustrated smirk on its face. In the center of its torso, the two original flaps slowly open,  
revealing a complex network of psychedelic colored gears,  
chains, and... a pair of huge gatling guns!  
  
Kid can't seem to help continuing to laugh and taunt the thing as we scurry from place to place!  
  
However, suddenly, a clear voice echoes out over the chaos! "Kid! Serge! Hide, quickly! I will deactivate it!"  
  
Upon hearing Magil behind it, the thing starts to whipe around.  
  
In a flash, Magil has leapt into the air, dashing with full force towards the fridge, er, non-fridge thing...!  
  
He shoots downwards, landing a direct kick on the back of its head!  
  
It teeters for a moment as Magil lands safely away from it. Then, miraculously, it falls lifelessly to the floor before us, as pieces of its beaten body fly out in all directions!  
Its batter box (two AA, sold seperately) tumbles away,  
stopping inches from my feet.  
  
Magil stands there, a glowing champion, burning with a blue radiance like never before.  
  
"Are you two all right?" he asks us.  
  
"hehehe, my belly hurts, but yeah... Heh, heh..." Kid answers, still unable to stop laughing.  
  
I silently nod to Magil.  
  
Looking over the junked remains, Kid seems to have found something of interest. She reaches out and takes some sort of white object, quickly stashing it down her bosom.  
  
"Hey Kid, what's that?"  
  
"Nothin'. Mind yer own business, Serge."  
  
"Let us search elsewhere. There are many clues left to be discovered..." Magil says with a cocked eyebrow, before heading to the door.  
  
Thinking back on all this, Magil's been getting stranger and stranger lately.  
  
How could he have known where its weak spot was?  
What kind of background does a guy need to have in order to know about stuff like that? I always knew he was strange, but I'm finding out now just how strange he really is...  
  
In any case, I'm glad to have him on our side. That thing would have made mincemeat out of us if he hadn't been here...  
  
I follow the gallant, luminescent figure of Magil out of the room.  
  
Just as we reach the bottom of the stairs a wall of light suddenly flashes out in front of us!  
  
I almost run into it, but I barely manage to stop myself before colliding with the blistering hot thing!  
  
I look a bit closer at it once I've caught my bearings. In addition to the bright light in fron of us, strange markings are scattered around on the floor within it.  
  
Around the markings, a small ditch runs in a perfect circle, where the columns of light radiate up from. A weird sort of shrill seems to be coming from it, as well.  
  
"What is it? Can you break through it with your magic?" I ask Magil.  
  
Without saying a word, Magil shifts his glance over to Kid.  
  
What're ya lookin' at me for?" Kid asks defensively  
  
Magil points to her chest.  
  
"Oh, my bunny?"  
  
Kid reluctantly reaches into her bosom. She takes out a plush bunny hand-puppet, saying "It's my toy, I found it fair 'n square."  
  
So that's what she found in the wreckage... A toy bunny. But what good would that be here?  
  
"Kid, this is actually a 'Martian Forest League Concealed Lesser Armament Bunny', and it is far more than a toy."  
  
Kid gawks at Magil, as do I. I suppose I'm expecting him to yell "Gotcha!" any time now, but he just stands there, aloof as ever.  
  
He puts the white, fluffly, blue-eyed bunny puppet onto his hand with utmost care.  
  
"So uh... This Martian Forest League, uh... Lesser Armament Bunny..."  
  
"Martian -Concealed- Forest League Lesser Armament Bunny," Magil corrects, as solemn as a philosophy teacher.  
  
"Right... this Martian Concealed Forest League, uh.  
Lesser Armament Bunny... what is it?"  
  
"Please, Kid, such technology is hopelessly beyond human comprehension."  
  
"Well what does it do then?"  
  
"Watch."  
  
"Wait, uh... no, that's okay, Magil..."  
  
Magil turns around, facing the columns of light.  
  
Entirely unfazed by my presence, Magil starts to dance around, waving the bunny around throught the air as he recites some sort of weird incantation.  
  
"Heat cup... provolone... soccer mom...!!"  
  
It's like he's wasted or something...  
  
And then, after a few moments, the glimmering light begins to subside!  
  
Well, whatever. I stopped trying to figure out this whole mess a long time ago.  
  
"Serge..."  
  
Magil turns to me, staring into my eyes with relentless honesty. He holds the bunny (The Martian Forest League Lesser Armament Bunny, mind you) out in front of him,  
saying "I entrust this to you. Please, if anything should ever happen to me, use it as I have..."  
  
"Magil... I humbly accept this most sacred gift. I shall use it sparingly and appropriately," I say with a deep bow.  
  
Hey, when in Rome...  
  
"This enchanted seal can never be completely removed,"  
Magil continues. "It will require one to re-extinguish it from time to time.  
  
By doing what I have done, this intrument can be used to temporarily nullify the effects of seal. Please,  
remember how to use it, for someday you too may find yourself in need of its assitance."  
  
"So it's safe to cross now?"  
  
"Yes. We must hurry, though."  
  
Walking across it, I feel a little bit of a shock run through my feet as I take my first few steps, but nothing serious happens.  
  
Once we're across, we come to a solid oak door after a bit of walking.  
  
Kid opens it, slowly...  
  
Having come this far, I take a deep breath. It's almost pitch black inside this room... All I can tell that it's very large and very cold. I can make out something in a far corner... It's a large metallic structure of some kind.  
  
A billowing voice echoed down from high above.  
  
"Finally, you've made it. I was wondering if you pitiful apes would ever show up."  
  
And there, amidst the shadowy interior of this spacious room...  
  
...Lord Lynx awaits!  
  
Before him, shimmering off the dank walls and ceiling of this underground cavern, a scarlet jewel radiates a deep,  
red light!  
  
The Frozen Flame...  
  
"L...Lynx! I have you now!"" Kid shouts, feral.  
  
"I beg to differ, young lady!" Lynx taunts, leaping down from the rocks, dashing towards her with amazing speed!  
  
Kid takes on a battle stance as she readies herself for him. However, he quickly dodges her attack, picking her up and tossing her through the air as though like a ragdoll!  
  
"Urrghh..."  
  
"Kid!"  
  
She's been thrown backwards onto a wall behind us, as Lynx returns to hear where he stood, unfazed!  
  
I run over and scoop Kid up into my arms.  
  
"Oh, how sweet. The apes care for each other. However, I would be more worried about yourself, young man!" Lynx shouts, laughing at the top of his lungs.  
  
That beast... There has to be something I can do. But,  
he's so fast! I've never seen anybody move like that...  
  
As Lynx continues to laugh, I try desperately to ignore him and fight off this sudden feeling of hopelessness.  
  
What would Magil do at a time like this... Wait, where is Magil? I haven't seen him since we came in...  
  
Wait, what's that?  
  
Is that... a guitar?  
  
Just a second ago, a strange sound echoed throughout the huge cavern. It couldn't have been Lynx... he seemed to be caught off guard by the sound as much as I was.  
  
Suddenly, a figure comes forth from out a dark corner of the room!  
  
Carrying a portable amp at his side and a shiny guitar across his chest, electrified sounds continue to roar throughout the cavern again and again as the figure continues to come towards us!  
  
It's... Magil!  
  
Wait... Magil!?  
  
From what I can tell, it looks like him. Sort of.  
  
Although having somehow changed into skin-tight,  
riveted jeans, trendy goggles, and a cool-looking shirt exposing his defined torso, it seems to be Magil in the flesh.  
  
Lights shine up from behind him, dazzlingly illuminating his glistening spiked hair and ponytail!  
  
"M, Magil...!? What do ya think yer doin'?" Kid asks,  
recovering from her daze.  
  
But Magil says nothing, continuing on with his enthusiastic solo.  
  
"Aahhhhh!! Nooo!!"  
  
"Th, that noise! Stop! Stop that noise!!" Lynx shouts,  
holding his ears.  
  
"What's that? You'd like a little 'Stairway to Heaven?  
Your wish is my command!" Magil shouts with a huge smile, before wailing on the guitar even louder!  
  
Before long, it seems like Lynx is going mad, listening to the harsh dissonance.  
  
His head starts to vibrater, before selling up more and more like a ballon!  
  
Then, all of a sudden, his head pops!  
  
At the same time, a countless number of cracks start to run up his body, snapping away parts of his body piece by piece, until a number of slender, green tentacles make their way through his body, writhing all around him!  
  
"Whoa... What's goin on!?"  
  
"Serge," Kid says, rising to her feet. "this's a bigger fight than I expected... I'm countin' on ya, you got that?"  
  
"I don't know, Kid... I can't throw myself into the thick of battle now! Who would narrate the story if something was to happen to me?"  
  
Suddenly, the remains of Lynx fly out in all directions!  
  
And with that, Lynx has completed his metamorphosis!  
  
A gigantic, slimy, lime green octopus stands before us,  
eagerly awaiting our doom!  
  
"I have you now, Martian Conjurer!" Magil shouts! "I have searched the galaxy for over five hundred years for you, wretched H-class Space Criminal!  
  
I have hidden my identity as a mere human, traveling with these people in order to track you to this very spot.  
But now, such trick are no longer necessary! Behold, for I am Universal Detective Mick Van Jovi!"  
  
As soon as Magil, er, Mick says this, light streaks out from all around him. When I can see again, he's changed again into some sort od polished metallic body armor!  
  
"And now...I come for you!"  
  
Magil turns toward the grotesque octopus, and hurls himself into the air!  
  
The octopus takes on a look of shock and disgust as Mick reveals himself.  
  
"Ah, my ever trendy antithesis, Mick Van Jovi... so, you have finally found me.  
  
...It was because of you that I was forced to flee Mars.  
Fleeing in haste, I accidentally crash-landed on this hellhole planet! My fusion reactor was rendered useledd,  
leaving me stranded here, all because of you!"  
  
"I... I was forced to eat my own ship to survive!" he continues, sobbing. "The control panel... the steering wheel... I even had to boil down the seat mat for food!"  
  
"...And now, five hundred years later, you come to arrest me just as I have finished repairing my fusion core?" he yells, nodding to the Frozen Flame!  
  
The Frozen Flame... a fusion reactor!?  
  
Within Magil's eyes, a silver flash of light shines out as a pale pulse runs down his glimmering armor.  
  
"Ah, the Martian Cyclone Crystal Fusion Reactor. Too bad that after I'm done with you, the reactor won't be the one needing five hundred years of repairing!"  
  
"Not if I can help it!" the Martian Octopus shouts!  
  
Not missing a beat, Lynx instantly starts to shoot his heavy grey pistol at us, showering the room with jagged beams of light!  
  
While we're busy dodging the plethora of light rays,  
Lynx suddenly snatches the Frozen Flame, and runs into the huge metallic saucer-shaped object over in the corner!  
  
In a flash, the thing starts up, rising high above us in a matter of seconds! The thing could easily weigh ten thousand tons, yet it hovers over us as easily as a bird!  
  
"How do you like my new and improved Galaxy Mothership?" we hear Lynx's voice boom throughout the cavern. "I apologize, but I do believe I will not be coming back to Mars with you, my dear Van Jovi!"  
  
The ship fires an even more intense barrage of ammunition at us, causing the walls and ceiling around us to crumble and break apart!  
  
Aaaahhh!! The cavern is collapsing all around us! Boulders of all sizes are frantically raining down on us!  
  
Oh no! Magil's been struck down by a huge boulder! He's helplessly trapped beneath it!  
  
"Magil! No!!"  
  
I rush over to him and push the gigantic boulder off! The boulder seems to have crushed some of his armor,  
though! He's hurt bad!  
  
"Feel like running yet, fools?" Lynx shouts from inside his cockpit.  
  
"We gotta get outta here!"  
  
"We can't just leave Mick though," I shout at Kid! "Look at all that armor he's got on... it'll be impossible to carry him out! Even with three people, it would still be tough!"  
  
"...Don't... don't worry about me," Magil mutters, as his armored fingers suddenly grasp my ankle.  
  
"Serge..." Magil gasps. "Th, the M, Mart, Martian For,  
Forest League J, Jun, Junior..."  
  
"The bunny," I interrupt.  
  
"Yes," he says. "The b, bunny... use it..."  
  
Ah! Of course! The bunny!  
  
Taking the soft puppet out of my pocket, I look back over to Ma, er, Mick.  
  
"Serge... Use it... as I have shown you... it is a m, multi-use d, detonator. And please, look after Kid, if death c,  
comes for me..."  
  
I clech my fists as I raise my head, looking up towards Lynx's dreadful ship.  
  
"Lynx! Behold!" I shout, raising my hand up into the air,  
pointing the bunny towards the ship!  
  
"You! Where did you get that!?" Lynx shrieks.  
  
"No," he continues, "You must not use it! Please, it will negate the stability of the fusion reactor! It will kill us all!!"  
  
I llok down to Magil. Dammit, I mean Mick. I look down towards Mick, who nods back at me confidently.  
  
Ignoring Lynx's pleas, I close my eyes, and mimic the enchantment Magil preformed earlier with utmost care.  
  
"Heat cup... provolone... soccer mom...!!"  
  
"Good, S, Serge. The detonation sequence h, has been initiated. It's on a t, timed delay," Mick says. "We must escape before that ship detonates!"  
  
Kid and I hoist his heavy body up and start to drag him out of the spacious cavern.  
  
We're not very far out, when suddenly...  
  
A giant explosion rocks the entire area around us!  
From far behind, we hear Lynx shriek "My ship...!" over and over again!  
  
The walls around us are beginning to tremble and shake more and more! Oh no, the entire mansion is collapsing!  
  
"Run, Serge!" Mick shouts, as Kid and I desperately try to scamper away faster!  
  
Mick seems to have regained a bit of strength and adrenaline, helping us by limping a bit as we carry his incredibly heavy body through the dark, twisted corridors of Viper Manor.  
  
Come on... please... don't cave in just yet...  
  
Dammit, just a little longer... please...!  
  
Yes! We're out!  
  
Looking back on the mansion from a safe distance, we watch it collapse under its own weight! It comes toppling down into what looks like a sweltering black hole, infused with a deep Martian redness!  
  
I let out a deep breath as I stare up into the nighttime sky.  
  
Suddenly, however, a small group of what looks like flying saucers come flying out of where the mansion used to be, soaring up into the stratosphere!  
  
Supporting Mick on both sides, we stare up at the ascending getaway ships.  
  
"Don't take it too rough, Mick. At least we made it out alive. Tomorrow's another day..."  
  
"Indeed," he replies. "They're pedal-powered escape pods... They won't get too far."  
  
Looking up as they soar over our heads, I see that he's right. Within the translucent center of one of the pods, I see what looks like Lynx, crammed in with a goblin, who's being barked at by Lynx to pedal twice as fast, in order to keep the ship afloat.  
  
"Hmmmm... yeah, I think you're right," I say. "Human power can't be much of a replacement for a nice fusion reactor, especially when talking about interstellar travel."  
  
I look over to Kid. But, ironically enough, instead of the pouting face I sxpected, it seems like there's a quality about her that I don't think she had before... something more at ease about her, in a subtle sort of way.  
  
"Tonight, we rest. Tomorrow, the search continues,"  
says Mick, triumphantly.  
  
And so, for this adventure, we have come to...  
  
THE END  
  
(or is it!?!?!?!1/1/1/1/1/1/1/1/1)  
  
And so, the curtain closes on another tale. However,  
another time, after the spotlight had faded from Kid,  
Mick, and the Martians...  
  
...In another place and another time... a similar band of adventurers had come forth, equally unsuspecting of their other selves, and life went on as they strode out into the great unknown.  
  
But, that's another story for another day. For now, I shall put down my pen."  
  
As I softly close my grandfather's diary, I hear my mother's voice call to me from downstairs.  
  
"Didn't you hear me? Your friend is here!"  
  
I turn around, already knowing who it is. My door opens quite energetically, where I see a strangely nostalgic girl barge in.  
  
"Serge! We found some ruins of an old mansion up in northern Kitsune Forest today! Come on, let's go exploring!"  
  
Fin  
  
--------End notes-------  
  
So there it is. I think the next one up is Homecoming: Shea's Light. Even more depressing than the ending of Le Tresor Interdit. 


	6. Homecoming: Shea's Light

Right, this one is depressing. I _think_ this should be better though, as I'm using Word © for this. I hope this works. If I owned this though, I'd be damn proud. If I owned this, I'd get it published.

* * *

Homecoming: Shea's Light

"Boy, did her information help. I though the perimeter's counterspell would be quite a problem." Kid's braid sways gently from side to side in the cool nighttime breeze. So far, we've managed to slip through the magical shield network undetected and sneak into Lynx's domain. Still, this inner region can make for some pretty rough travel. Kid, Magil and I comprise this party of three...

However, while walking behind Kid, I can't help but notice her ponytail endlessly swishing back, and... back, and forth... back, and forth...

I'm starting to get sleepy... so, so sleepy...

"...Serge..."

"Serge!!"

"Huh!?"

"Snap out of it, lazy bones!"

Looking up, the tall, shadowy mansion of Lord Lynx looms before me. I can't believe we're there already... I must have been really out of it. "The hell were you daydreamin' about, mate? Let's go!" Kid says, disappearing into the mansion. "Hey, wait up, Kid!" I shout, frantically chasing after her. However, she's already deep inside. The darkness engulfs me...

Passages extend to the left and right. Wherever we turn, darkness awaits...

What was that? I could have sworn I saw a faint light illuminating the hallway just then. It's probably just the moonlight shining in through a skylight, I tell myself. However, looking up at the ceiling, no such skylight can be found...

"Hey, Serge! What are ya starin' at? We got a job to do here!" I look down the hallway only you to see Kid, already barely visible down the long, dark corridor.

There's something here, I'm sure of it. It was a faint light, sort of like a camera flash, but much more subtle. It couldn't have been the moonlight.

"Serge, what are ya, paralyzed? Come on!" Kid says, coming back towards me. "There's something here, Kid..." Just as I start to think that it could have been my imagination, suddenly...

...Wearing a tattered old priest's robe,

a figure of a young lady materializes above us.

"......Finally... you have come..."

That voice... it's so strange! It's like it's resonating inside my head... "Kid... can you hear that?"

I'm not even sure if I just said that... could this all be a dream? Before I have time to think, Kid and Magil come up beside me, also staring at the apparition. Okay, now I know this is real. It's too real to be a dream.

"Wh, where'd she go?"

Black magic... witchcraft... necromancy... I've seen all sorts of different types of stuff in the past, but this... I don't think I've ever been faced with anything like this before. On the other hand, Magil stands there with his usual cool composure. I doubt this is the first time he's dealing with something like this.

A wave of anxiety runs through my entire body, standing here in this dark, damp hallway. I wonder... should we even be here? Was this a message of some kind to leave? Just by standing here, we might be desecrating the memory of the dead... The girl's face shines out in my mind. She seemed so sad...

"I do not believe this will necessarily help with out mission. Let us move on." I've never been so quick to agree with Magil. Kid doesn't seem to have any objections either.

We continue through the passageway... After a while we arrive at a beautifully decorated set of double doors.

A slight breeze is our only welcome as we enter through the huge set of doors.

We're met with silence as we look around this spacious, two-story hall.

On the far wall, a monstrous organ stands proudly, beckoning us with its pitch-black aura. A countless number of candles are lit all around us, offsetting our surroundings with a strange, flickering radiance. "What is this place? A cathedral or somethin'?"

"It seems so. The candles in this room have been places in such a way to produce patterns of shadows, consistent with occult teachings," Magil says. Looking down, I can see he's on to something — a number of strange, candlelit patterns dance around on the floor.

"Do not stand there." I instantly leap back, cold sweat running down my neck. My hand is on my knife... not that it'll do any good at this point... "Indeed, a most peculiar arrangement," Magil continues as I back against the wall. "This is indeed an unholy cathedral, ordained for occult sermons. The shadows indicate this spot is a focal point of some kind. This entire mansion is an instrument for defying order..."

"No, wait," he continues a moment later. "I was wrong. This room isn't the focal point. The shadows don't quite meet here in focus, as though...

Although scared, I start to look around the cathedral. Its dusty pillars and cold, clammy walls send a shiver down my spine. Setting my sights on the organ, I walk over towards it.

...Strange... The keyboard is fake. There's no mistaking it, these keys aren't real — they're bound together. All the whites are one solid piece of ivory, as well as the blacks.

"Hey Magil, have you seen this yet? I think I found something."

As soon as I press down on the keys, the wall just to the left of me begins to rumble. A secret passage has opened up!

Peering into it, I can see a stone stairway winding down...

"A secret floor directly beneath this one. Of course," Magil says to himself as we start down the narrow staircase.

Once we reach the bottom, Magil casts a spell, allowing us to see into this dark, damp room. The faint luminescence allow us to see somewhat. We're in a room taller than head height. However, what's interesting is that this room seems to have the exact same length and width as the room above us. Even the pillars are here, in the exact same places as they were above.

Could this be the original floor, covered up with what's there now? Why would someone do that? What would they need to cover up...?

"Look over there," Magil whimpers. In the direction he's pointing, we see a faint cloud-like mass... No, my mistake. It's something sketched on the floor, emitting a dull, pulsating light...

"What is it?" Kid asks. "...I cannot be sure. Perhaps it is an inscription, placed here by those that constructed this place... I must think more on this matter."

Suddenly, a dry wind blows past me. It didn't come from the stairwell, and there aren't any windows down here. "Let us come back when we know more," Magil says. I have no problem with that whatsoever.

We head back up the stairs and out of the cathedral, back into the corridor within seconds. But still, that chilly feeling on the back of my neck hasn't abated...

Proceeding ahead on the path, we come to a staircase going up, and... a firm-looking set of doors on the left. "There better be treasure here. The smell of gold's thick in the air, mate."

The door's locked...

...But not for long.

Before Magil can even offer an unlock spell, I notice Kid combing her fingers through her hair, revealing a hairpin after a moment or two. Kneeling down by the door, she fiddles around with the lock for a bit, and after a while, unlocks it with a click. That was almost too easy...

An amazing sight it spread before our eyes... I don't quite know what to think of it. We're in some sort of treasure vault, with piles of gold, silver, and other sparkling treasure stacked in piles throughout the room.

But that's not the half of it...

Looking out towards the far end, an even more remarkable sight catches my eye. Halfway into the room, the piles of treasure turn into somewhat of a beach, followed by a glistening ocean. It's all a huge diorama, with every single object crafted from gems or precious metal...

The ocean, however, is perfectly calm. No, calm isn't the word for it — it's still as glass. The glistening sheen of every undulating whitecap here seems to be frozen in time, stirred up like crystal valleys against the jade-like reefs of nearby islands.

I walk out onto the beach and bend down to touch the unmoving water, but it's not frozen... just motionless.

A polished metallic siren, adorned with scales of mica and hair of platinum, stands proudly on a nearby island, with a mysterious smile on its face. In its life-like hand, almost obscured by a crashing wave, is an object of rare beauty. This stone, gripped tightly by the pearl-colored hand,, seems as though it's capturing this ocean's stormy essence within its deep red center.

Indeed, this is the object we've been seeking. Yet it's out of our grasp, if by only a small distance, seized within the hand of this suspicious-looking metallic contraption.

...The Frozen Flame...

"There it is! Serge, get yer scaffold!" Kid shouts, unable to suppress her highly strung heart any longer. However, I hesitate. There's more to this than meets the eyes, I tell myself as I glance at Magil. His eyes tell me the same.

Ouch! "What was that for? You don't have to slap me every time you disagree with me..." "Look, mate! Just let me have yer scaffold and I'll take care of the rest, awright?" It's no use... I suppose if I'm going to face pain no matter what I do, we might as well get the Frozen Flame... I take the bamboo scaffold out of my bag. The oriental monocotyledon it's crafted from is extremely light, durable, and elastic perfect for travel. I place it on the ground and we go to work, assembling the bridge-like structure.

I stand back after a few moments, looking at the finished product spread out on the beach. Kid tests it by stepping on it lightly, then adding a little more weight, until she finally stands on it firm. It appears solid enough.

I nod to Kid as Magil and I take the scaffold and swing it over to the small island, connecting the two pieces of land together. I let out a deep, shaky breath as Kid takes her first step out. The scaffold gives a little, but stays afloat. The siren maintains its ominous stare as Kid approaches.

The distance between the closes with each passing step. Before long, she reaches the reef, and is within arm's length of the Flame.

"Come on, take it," I whisper, my fists clenched. She reaches out, ever so slowly. Her head turns from the Flame to the siren's face and back, as her hand draws closer and closer. Those deep, aquamarine eyes remain vacant and still...

But wait! No! The siren is starting to move! Kid! Get out of there! It's coming to life!" but Kid's already on her way with the Frozen Flame in hand!

The churning of the siren's metallic innards increases, getting louder and louder by the second. The sound rips through my eardrums as I watch its movements become more and more fluid!

Just as the siren starts to move, the ocean comes to life as well! Somehow, the waves start to churn and toil, gaining increasing vigor and momentum the more the siren awakens! The siren turns and takes a step towards Kid, who's now back on the scaffold. She's having trouble maintaining balance above the now violent body of water, as it crashes and bubbles mere inches beneath her feet! Pursued by this relentless, inorganic beast, she desperately tries to make her way home...

......! Oh no! Kid's slipped on a wet spot! She falls into the water head first with a splash! The surging waves splash all around her, mercilessly thrashing all around! The siren starts to come for Kid, trudging ever so slowly into the whitecapped frenzy. A sudden wave smashes into Kid, and after it recedes, I can't even see her head anymore! Please, God, don't let her drown...!

I see her hand emerge a few seconds later, desperately reaching out, trying to grab onto something! I have to save her... distract that siren... anything...!

Suddenly a flash flies through the air. It's Magil! He's shooting his silver needles at the siren! One of them hits is directly between the eyes! Platinum colored blood starts to gush out of the hole!

However, it does nothing to stop the unrelenting, robotic beast, now only a few feet from Kid! Its mouth begins to open to an unnatural extent, like that of a gigantic snake! Dammit, what am I going to do?

I dive in without a moment's notice! I try to open my eyes underwater to find Kid, but the instant I do, I'm forced to shut them from the salty sting of seawater! Coming up for air, I try to find Kid among the vigorously crashing waves. She's a ways ahead of me, bobbing in and out of the water... I have to be quick!

Swimming over to where I last saw her, a hand suddenly floats up to the surface of the water! I grab on, and pull up with all my might. The hand is rotted away below the wrist, however...

Corpses suddenly start to emerge all around me! These half-rotten, waterlogged bodies should be dead and lifeless, but somehow, they're all coming for me, trying to pull me under!

I quickly dive underwater, swimming as fast as I can away from the pack of bodies. I come up for air, spotting Kid just a few feet in front of me! She's spitting water out of her mouth, only moments away from drowning!

"Kid! Come on, hurry!!" I grab hand and dive deep underneath the stormy water. Swimming away, I accidentally bump into one of the corpses! Just as I feel all of them start to crowd around us, I unsheathe my knife and blindly hack away!

Clinging tightly to Kid's and, I swim and swim until I can't hold breath any longer! Coming up for air, I realize we've made it! I take her up into my arms and carry her ashore. She's barely conscious...

Ughh... Lying next to me, Kid coughs a bit, spitting up sea water. I try to calm her down, and after a few moments, she rests peacefully on the glittering beach.

Suddenly, I notice something... it's quiet. Perfectly quiet. I look up, wondering what just happened. The ocean has reverted back to how it once was — perfectly still, like a slice in time once again. The corpses are nowhere to be found.

The siren has resumes to its original pose, subtly perched on the far island, with that mysterious smile once again streaked across its face.

After a few moments, Kid holds the Frozen Flame up over her head, staring into its shimmering beauty. "Well, we got what we came for."

She's right. I stand up and shake myself off, relieved it's all over with. I help her to her feet, eager to get out of here.

"Uh..."

"...Shouldn't the terrace be here?" We've been walking long enough, but somehow, the walls seem to extend on without any end in sight...

"Yer just shook up from what happened back there, mate," Kid says. "C'mon, the terrace's tigh up here." ...... "No, that wood handrail with the big know in it, I remember it clearly. We're going in circles..."

"Circles!? What a load! We're walkin' on a straight path! Can't you see it?" she shouts, pointing down the dark corridor. "See? Straight" "I know, Kid! I'm just... I don't know..."

"Here it is again... the same knot."

"This is bloody ridiculous! Why did we come all the way out here!? For this!?!? Look at us, we can't even find our way out of a blasted house!!" Kid's going into hysteria... I wish I could do something but to be honest I'm not that much better off right now...

"This is friggin crazy! We're goin' in circles!!!!! We never should have come out here, we never should have done this!!! We're lost, God Dammit!!!! What are we supposed to do now!?!?!?"

"Look Kid, nobody needs all the yelling..." I say, frustrated. "Who asked you, ya lame-brained sack'a..." Suddenly, Magil come up behind us and touches us on the back of our necks. I don't know what he's doing, but it instantly calms me down... and by the looks (and sounds) of it, Kid as well. I lean against the wall for a second, trying to think of what to do. Kid stoops down, miserable.

"We are being toyed with," Magil says. "Look closely, down the center of the hallway. See how the walls subtly warp. This is all an illusion of some sort. Apparently, someone or something does not want us to advance any further."

"Well congratu-frickin-lations, Lynx! Ya got us walkin' in circles! Bet yer mighty proud of yerself! So now what are ya gonna do? Play some more games, or fight like a man?" Frustrated, she storms down the hallway once again.

"What's that strange look on yer face for, mate?"

"I don't know... I just... I don't have a good feeling about this place." "Aw, c'mon, mate. You never have a good feelin' about anything."

"It's just, after what we went through with the treasure vault and all... I don't know, maybe I am just being a worry wart."

"Well, you sure ya wanna keep on goin'?" Kid asks with an unusually serious face. Somehow, I find myself nodding silently, ignoring the warnings in my head. I remember something someone told me a while ago about this place... "Everything in that mansion answers to Lord Lynx," he said. "The creatures... the walls... the statues... everything. If you understand the concept of power by fear and control, then you understand Lynx."

Magil strokes his chin, calmly examining the gigantic doors before us. There's bound to be something important in here — these dark mahogany doors tower above us, emanating an unmistakable sense of intimidation. "...All set?" I ask, taking a deep breath pushing the doors open slowly.

As expected, these are Lynx's quarters. Or should I say, 'were'... Staring at the sight before our eyes, all I can do is gasp in silence, half surprised, half terrified.

To put it simply, Lynx is quite certainly in this room. ...However, not as we expected.

Lynx's corpse has been hastily stashed in the couch on the far end of the room. Only his mangled hand is visible, sticking out from beneath a cushion.

Kid goes over and slowly lifts up one of the cushions. I don't know if it's the smell or the sight that makes her gag. But yes, it's definitely Lynx under there.

I never expected any of this when I came here tonight. I mean, rumors of Lord Lynx's reign have been going around as strong as ever. Although when I think about it, his reputation alone could probably carry on such a regime. I wonder how long it's been since this happened...

"It can't be. That genocidal, terror-driven maniac... he burnt the temple and abducted Sha... how can he be dead already? I wanted my revenge...!" Kid mutters, tears swelling in her eyes. Shea... hmm... where have I heard that name before...

"No one knows Lynx is dead except for us... We must be the first ones to find out about it."

"..Heh, or maybe not," Kid adds. Her attempt at humor only succeeds in causing my feeling of dread to grow even stronger...

"Strange..." Magil kneels down and lifts off the cushions, examining the corpse as though he was a coroner. "Hey, I always liked a nice firm seat," Kid says, pretending to sit down on it. Enough with the bad jokes already, Kid...

"This corpse has no life-essence," Magil continues. "Isn't that how corpses usually are?" I ask.

"Generally, yes. When a person dies, one's consciousness, or spirit, is separated from the body. Normally, as the spirit leaves the body, the corpse will crumble over time. However, in this case, this corpse is aged, but it has not even started to crumble at all yet. It is merely without moisture."

"Lynx's spirit has not yet been released."

"So that means..."

"Yes, his spirit is still here, probably somewhere within this mansion."

Magil seems unusually disturbed by all this. First the phantom, then that whole siren thing, now this... even he's having trouble keeping his cool. We're in over our heads.

"Lynx was apparently slain by a balde," Magil says, pointing to a gash in his belly. Looking around, he finds the murder weapon. It's a bloody sword, stashed behind a chair. "An Acacian sword... interesting."

Magil tries to remain focused, racking his brain for information. "If a body and its spirit have been detached in this manner, the body will yearn for its spirit. It will transform into a sort of a bottomless well, endlessly seeking spirits until it finds its own."

"What does that have to do with us? ...Oh," Kid says solemnly.

Something's happening... This room, no, the whole house... all around us, the walls are starting to creak...

There's something in here, waiting for us. I can feel it on the back of my neck. I whip around with my knife ready, but nothing's there. Suddenly, something grabs my arm! Oh no, get it off me! I whip around again, but it's only Kid! "Get a grip, mate! It's just me!" Phew...

"We've got the Flame. Lynx is dead. Why do we even need to be here anymore!? Come one, let's go!" she shouts. She's right, screw this place!

"If we can get out of here at all," Magil adds, standing up. And the, the walls begin to creak again. We look around... The lights flicker. Don't go out... Please, God, don't go out...

"...Kid..."

We instantly whip around. The voice is coming from the mirror! "Finally... you have come."

...That girl... the one from before... It's her! She's here, faintly floating within the mirror!

"Do you know her, Kid?"

"Sh... Shea...? Is that you!?" Kid says, gazing at the faint apparition with desperate eyes...

I take another look at the girl, barely visible in the reflection. It seems she's saying something, but it's too faint to make anything out. "What? What are you saying?" I ask, taking a step closer.

"...Pain... awful, awful pain... and so...

...I welcome your souls!"

A gigantic hand suddenly materializes out of the mirror, grabbing at me! Magil instantly pulls me back, just as the huge hand is about to seize me! If not for Magil's lighting quick instincts, who knows what would have happened... I'm at a loss for words. All I can muster out is "Thanks, Magil... thank you." I can't tell you how many close calls I owe to him...

All of a sudden, a deep, booming laugh echoes all around us... "That bastard... it's Lynx, I know it's him," Kid say, looking around. As the laugh grows louder and louder, a light begins to shimmer from Kid's backpack. Opening it up, she takes out the Frozen Flame, staring at it as it shines brighter before our eyes.

Suddenly, a flash of crimson light bursts out from it in all directions! As this happens, the ominous laughing continues to get louder and louder!

Kid's being put under some sort of spell! Her body rises off the floor, motionless, as the stone continues to shine brighter and brighter!

"Magil! What's goin on!?" Magil closes his eyes, and begins muttering something. Before long, he unleashes a surging aura, arcing directly towards Kid! A somber red glow casts its light on everything in the room. The laughing is distorted and the stone's sparkle begins to lessen!

"Is she okay!?" I ask, but I get no response. It seems Magil's suppressing the spell. He's having trouble maintaining it, though. "Serge! Taker her, now! I can't hold it off for much longer...!"

I grab Kid and rush her outside the dreadful blood-red room. Looking at her, she's as white as a ghost... In her trembling hand, she holds a steadfast grip on the Frozen Flame.

Magil meets up with us a moment later, looking completely exhausted.

"Kid! Hey, Kid!"

"Unnff... huh? Where am I?" In that comfortingly familiar voice, Kid slowly starts to recover.

"Where do you think you are?" Magil asks.

"Seven."

"Good to have you back, Kid."

I'll never understand these two...

"What was that all about, Magil?"

"I do not know. I have rarely seen magic of such a kind. The luminescent seal we saw earlier beneath the cathedral had a similar structure." There has to be some sort of connection...

We come to a beautifully decorated set of doors...

This is a leisurely room, decorated to a fine taste. An antique cupboard, polished wooden toy animals, and a shiny glass vase add to its charm. However, the flower in the vase has long since wilted, and it's been long since the furniture was dusted last. There are traces of life here, but not recent ones. A broken window lies hidden behind this elegant interior. Wind blows in through the small crack.

"There doesn't seem to be anything useful here... let's go."

"Hang on a sec," Kid responds, kicking open a chest. I come to her side, peering in with her. Inside, a pale blue robe is found.

"...Shea..." Kid quietly says. That name... Shea... Kid takes notice of my looking at her and quickly composes herself.

"Yer right, there's nuthin' here. C'mon." Before I have time to ask, Kid leads the way out.

"We're never gonna get outta here. People have probably been trapped here their whole lives... or longer..."

"Relax, mate. We got enough food here to last us a while." ...Funny, that didn't really relax me very much... Kid's acting strange...

It's that girl... I know it has something to do with that girl. But what could it all mean? I want to ask Kid, but now's not the right time. Aw, why not. "Hey, about that robe..."

"It is the official congregational robe of the Temple of Four Spirits," Magil instantly says. It must have been on his mind as well...

"Isn't that were you were raised, Kid?" "...Yeah, they took us in... all us orphans." It seems to be a hard subject for her... I can understand why. She always seems so moved by this...

While Kid is lost in thought, Magil takes me aside and explains the rest to me, alone...

"Kid, still a child at the time, was raised by the holy sisters in their temple. However, one day one of the sister was summoned to Lynx's mansion. Kid waited day after day, but the sister did not return. After some time had passes, Kid secretly sneaked out of the temple, determined to find out what had happened.

She made it almost all the way to Viper Manor, alone and unprepared. She was still just a child after all. But then, she heard an explosion, back in the direction of her hometown. She looked back and saw fire everywhere, engulfing the only home she ever knew. Someone had set fire to her entire village, including the temple.

Forgetting the mansion for time being, she ran back to town, but Kid was the only survivor.

Back then, I was a regular visitor of the temple. One day, I cam to where the town had been, and came to where the town had been, and came across this sight. All the village had burnt to the ground, and there appeared to be no survivors. But, following my intuition, I searched and searched.

And there, among all the cinders and bodies, crouched a tiny, trembling little girl. After I took Kid under my wing, it was entire year before she spoke again. Ever since then, I haven't seen her cry a single one, no sense in backin' out now," Kid says all of a sudden. I take a deep breath as we come to the towering set of doors.

We walk up to the organ, pressing the white and black keys together. After a moment or two the wall begins to rumble and the secret door opens.

The staircase winds down into darkness.

"C'mon, no sense in waitin' around all day," Kid says, heading the cold, damp staircase. Magil and I follow her down, into the forgotten lair.

Suddenly, as if awakened by our being here... The magic seal grows stronger and stronger, giving off a terrifying shaking tremor as its radiance intensifies, filling the room with its aura!

Despite our situation, I can't help but be caught up in the spectacle of it all...

However, at its core...

... He's here.

"...Lynx..."

Kid's tone is as though she's speaking the name of death itself.

This man... no... this thing... Viper Manor's deadly master... the originator of all this torment...

".....Lynx!!" Kid calls out to Lynx, here eyes as ravenous as a hawk's as she grips her knife tight!

Lynx's image wavers silently in the air, apparently undisturbed. Kid, on the other hand, sets aside her peace of mind, calling forth the fury maddening vengeance!

Lynx starts to speak out, but ironically, in a meek and comforting tone. "The Frozen Flame... please, return it here, young girl..." "Yeah, right! Ya think I'm gonna return it to a bastard like you!?"

At that moment, Kid reaches in her pocket. Moments later, she pulls out the glowing red stone. Shimmering red light streaks out between her fingers, as she holds the Frozen Flame high above her. "Yes," Lynx continues. "It is my spirit... please, you must help me."

"...your spirit?" Kid asks.

Lord Lynx's image please with Kid in a pitiful manner.

"Please, hear me... I, too, was once on a quest. Struck down by the blade of an evil assassin, I failed to reach my goal. Through the power of secret ancient arts, I was barely able to secure my spirit within the Frozen Flame, but just barely... In this meager remaining existence, I am helpless, bound to this magic seal before you. Please, return the flame to me... I am helpless without it..."

"Pity," Kid says. "...I'm sure you know all about pity. Did ya ever show any of those people you maimed any pity?" Kid's eyes return to their hard stare. "You expect us to believe you? You, the bastard who tortured countless people!? Death isn't good enough for the likes of you!" she shouts, squeezing the flame tighter and tighter! "Please! Pity me," the faint apparition pleads.

"Kid!"

"Wait... Please!!"

Kid suddenly stops dead in her tracks, hearing that voice. It wasn't Lynx's voice... "Aaaahhhh! You...! No....!!" Lynx shouts out!

Lynx's apparition bends and contorts, blurring like a sweltering heat, until... ... Another figure starts to overlap his image! It's that girl...

She's fighting to come through, wrestling with Lynx...

Please... you must not trust him. Do not lend any help to his revival," the girl says, painfully twisting and turning within the seal.

"Revival? Of course! I understand the seal's meaning now!" Magil adds. "This seal, it's for a séance... an anti-spirit séance. By consuming other's spirits, Lynx breaks the seal by which hs is kept from returning to the physical world, bit by bit."

"Consuming other's spirits... it all makes sense now," Magil says. "The Flame, put right out in the open, was meant for us to take. It all points to this being one huge trap."

"There must have been other like us... thieves who had come looking for the Flame," Magil continues. "They took it, but then, found themselves unable to escape." Yeah... Lynx must have pounced on them through the Flame when they least expected it, just like what happened to Kid in Lynx's room. Lynx just didn't count on someone like Magil who was able to counter his evil magic.

There must be no one left alive in this entire mansion... they've all been consumed by Lynx. All those corpses we saw... how many have died, never to have gotten this far?

"Shea..." Beside me, I hear Kid say that name again... "Shea... it's you... it's you!" ...Kid...

I've never heard Kid's voice take on such a soft tone. No, I woudn't call it soft — it's more of the kind of tone a child clings to her mother with.

Now I remember... one of the sisters of the temple where Kid was raised was named Shea, if I'm not mistaken...

"Shea...! It's me, Kid...!" "Yes, my Kid... my precious little Kid. What a fantastic woman you have grown into..."

"Grrrrrr...rrraaaaaahhhhhh!! Get out of my mind...!!" Lynx shouts out from inside the seal! He forces his face through Shea's belly, as they begin to painfully wrestle with each other once again!

"Kid," Shea continues, painfully overcoming Lynx, "thank you for remembering me... however, I cannot return with you. Please, hear me... the Frozen Flame must be destroyed. It is through this that Lynx is able to slowly resurrect himself... Please, destroy it, and save yourselves... I will restrain Lynx in the meantime."

"But... No! You can't! Come back... come back with me!"

"Kid... just as headstrong as ever," Shea says with a wide smile across her face.

"I must fall, with Lynx... I am bound to this fate. You see, I am burdened with this crime — my father's blood runs just as thickly through my veins."

...Father...?

"Sensing his own impending death, Lynx made preparations for a revival before he was slain," Shea says painfully, barely able to restrain Lynx's mortal hatred.

"This anti-spirit séance he prepared was designed to feed off other's spirit, in exchange for adding to his own rejuvenation." Shea's eyes take on a somber glow. "To invoke the séance, he needed a blood relative to consume first. Yes, Kid... I was born unto him illegitimately... I am his daughter." Kid's face turns to that of utter shock, hearing this.

"The moment that Dragoon slew Lynx, I felt my spirit being sucked into this spot, consumed within hi séance. But, he did not stop there... all my people met the same fate. Not even this was enough, however... He continues to greedily lure unsuspecting visitors of Viper Manor to this very day, hoping to consume more and more spirits so that he may one day cross back over."

"This insidious crime... it must be stopped," she concludes. Mortified, Kid is unable to say a word. "Thank you for hearing me. The truth is known, finally. Now please, save yourself, my precious... little... Kid..."

Kid takes a deep breath, staring at the shiny jewel she's been seeking for so long. "I choose... I choose to end it," she says solemnly.

"Place it on the ground before you," says Magil. Kid does so, and not long after, Magil's thick voice begins to echo out an incantation. Looking over at him, an arc of magic streaks out from his fingertips towards the Flame! The scarlet jewel takes on a strange, dark color, as it begins to hum louder and louder... Shea smiled upon seeing this. "Thank you... thank you for setting me free..."

"I've waited a century for this moment, to put an end to Lynx," Magil says, smiling broadly. "And now... it is finished."

As the flame continues to glow darker and darker with its new hollow, grey aura, Magil shouts "Serge, take cover, and hold Kid to you! The Flame is losing stability!!"

I can't remember what happened next very clearly...

The magic seal's radiance...

Lynx's contorted screams...

Magil invoking his magic...

...Shea's comforting smile.

And...

...a tear rolling down Kid's cheek.

When I come to, I find that I'm lying on the ground, holding Kid tightly to me, rubbing the soot out of my eyes. How long have I been laying here? Out clothes have been tattered, and our bodies have sustained more than their fair share of bruises. But... we're all right. It looks like Magil was thrown over to the opposite side of the room. He lays there silently, exhausted of all energy, fast asleep. I pick up my head to glance over to where the Flame was... ...It's gone. There's no trace of Shea or Lynx either...

I sleep... and sleep... and sleep. The moon rises for a second time, and I finally feel like I have the strength to get up. I nudge Kid, who's still groggy, as I sit up on the cold stone floor.

"All this...and what do we have to show for it... nothing," I think to myself, remorsefully. But then, I glance at Kid, and realize that's not entirely true.

Walking through the forest wilderness, I look back over my shoulder to the towering mansion one last time. Finally, Viper Manor is at peace.

Walking beside me, Kid gulps painfully as she looks down at her hand, tracing the outline of where she once grasped the legendary Frozen Flame so tightly. Closing her hand, she moves on.

And so, the curtain closes on another tale. However, another time, after the spotlight had faded from Kid, Magil, and Shea...

...In another place and another time... a similar band of adventurers had come forth, equally unsuspecting of their other selves, and life went on as they strode out into the great unknown.

But, that's another story for another day. For now, I shall put down my pen."

As I softly close my grandfather's diary, I hear my mother's voice call to me from downstairs. "Didn't you hear me? Your friend is here!" I turn around, already knowing who it is. My door open quite energetically, where I see a strangely nostalgic girl barge in.

"Serge! We found some ruins of an old mansion up in northern Kitsune Forest today! Come on, let's go exploring!"

Fin

* * *

Next story is The Enigmatic Gigaweapon: Paradise X. It should be up sometime this week.


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